In a startling development, twin explosions rocked a prayer meeting at a convention center in Kerala, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed his deep shock and condemnation of the incident, urging swift police action.
Tharoor, the Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, lamented the tragic turn of events, decrying the prevailing “mentality of killing and destruction” in his state. He called on religious leaders to unite in condemning such acts of violence and teach their followers that violence only begets more violence.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah engaged with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in response to the blasts. He also instructed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Security Guard (NSG) to deploy to the scene and initiate an inquiry.
The explosions occurred during a prayer meeting of Jehovah’s Witness believers at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Ernakulam district, resulting in one fatality and numerous critical injuries.
The Home Minister subsequently directed the heads of both the NIA and the NSG to dispatch their specialized teams to commence an inquiry.
Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan described the explosion as an unfortunate incident and affirmed that the state government was taking it very seriously. Top officials, including the Director General of Police (DGP), were dispatched to the site to gather information.
Kerala’s Leader of Opposition and the President of the Congress party in the state, VD Satheesan, reported that there were two explosions and a subsequent fire. The initial major blast was followed by a minor one. A woman lost her life, and 25 individuals injured in the incident were receiving treatment, with six of them in critical condition in the ICU. Approximately 2,000 people were present at the prayer hall when the explosive devices detonated.
The victims of the twin blasts were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery, as well as private hospitals.
The explosions were reported shortly after 9:30 am during a regional meeting of the Jehovah’s Witness believers.
