MALAPPURAM: Illegally stored gunpowder at the Potturkavu Temple in Vattamkulam near Edappal in the district caught fire in the wee hours of Tuesday causing a blast with a deafening sound that shook the area and left one person injured. The blast destroyed the four walls of the storeroom and partially damaged the building. The police found that 7.5 kg of gunpowder was stored at the temple after Monday’s festival. They booked two persons under the Explosives Act and taken them into custody for questioning.
It was found that the temple authorities had no permission to store the gunpowder there, they said. “The actual cause of the fire is being investigated. There were signs of cooking at the adjacent kitchen of the temple. The primary indications are that the explosion might be due to sparks from the kitchen,” said Sasheendran Melayil, sub-inspector of Ponnani. A police team led by inspector A.J. Johnson and other officials rushed to the spot immediately after the incident. The injured, identified as Sanoj, a drummer, was admitted to a private hospital in Ottapalam.
