‘A sudden flash & then fire’: Thrissur firecracker unit blaze survivor recalls miraculous escape; 13 dead

A worker at a firecracker manufacturing unit had a miraculous escape on Tuesday as a blast ripped through the unit at Mundathicode in Thrissur killed 13 workers and injured many others.Recounting his narrow escape, Wilson said he was drying firecracker fuses outside the unit. He suspects the blast occurred due to the extreme atmospheric temperature. Wilson said he ran away seeing the fuses burning and the fire approaching towards the side he was standing. "When I turned back to see what was happening, the fuses started to burn with a sound. I ran towards safety. By that time, the unit began exploding. Though I fell down while trying to escape, I got up and continued running and leapt over the boundary fence as the blast continued in rapid succession behind. By that time, the unit had become a fireball. All these happened within two or three seconds," said Wilson, who was yet to come to terms with what unfolded before him.According to him, the unit had been operating in compliance with safety norms. "There was nothing illegal," he said.He maintained that all workers at the unit were Malayalis and that no migrant labourers were employed.Widespread destructionScenes from a powerful explosion at a fireworks unit at Mundathicode were heartbreaking, as rescuers —mostly residents— described how the blast tore through a quiet paddy field, killing at least 13 people, injuring several others, and leaving widespread destruction.Columns of thick black smoke rose high into the sky from a cluster of temporary sheds erected in the middle of the field, where firecrackers were being prepared for the annual Thrissur Pooram festival, known for its spectacular fireworks and percussion ensembles.A routine workday quickly descended into chaos around 3.30pm.Firefighters and rescue personnel who rushed to the isolated site were forced to stop midway as intermittent explosions continued, sending shockwaves across the area.Unable to approach, they sprayed water from a distance, waiting for the blasts to subside before moving in.Television visuals and eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture — residents, among the first to reach the spot, were seen carrying the injured across uneven, slushy terrain and collecting scattered human remains. "Parts of bodies were lying scattered. We helped gather them and send them to hospitals," said a local man, his voice trembling.Officials said around 40 workers were believed to have been present at the unit at the time of the explosion, many of whom suffered burn injuries, several of them critical.The injured were rushed to hospitals, mainly Govt Medical College, Thrissur.Residents said the fireworks unit had functioned in the area for years without incident, making the scale of Tuesday's tragedy even more shocking. The explosion sound was heard kilometres away, and some nearby houses reportedly suffered damage. Even hours after the initial blast, occasional explosions and the risk of igniting stored firecrackers continued to hamper rescue operations, with fire and police personnel proceeding cautiously through the debris.As smoke slowly cleared over the once tranquil fields, festive anticipation surrounding the Pooram gave way to grief, with families anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones and authorities struggling to ascertain the exact toll in what is among the worst such accidents in the region in recent times.(With inputs from agencies)