For a few seconds, Pathanamthitta native Jojimon P T (39) didn't know what was happening. A ball of fire engulfed him while he performed the final rites of his grandmother, Janakiamma, at the public crematorium in Jandayikkal, Ranni. He had tried to light a camphor near the body, which was kept inside the cremation chamber on Monday. Unaware that staff had already opened the gas supply, flames suddenly flared up, leaving him with burns to the entire right side of his body. His cousin Rajesh (40) and friend Pradeep (40) sustained minor injuries.

Four days later, Jojimon is still recovering from the shock. “I still can’t believe I’m alive. There were nearly 40 people inside, including children. If the fire had spread further, it would have been a tragedy,” Jojimon told Onmanorama. A crane operator by profession, he returned to work due to previous commitments, after just two days of rest, though burn injuries make it difficult for him to withstand sunlight.

“My right side is badly burnt. Even my eyes swell painfully if kept open. I plan to seek further treatment at Kottayam Medical College Hospital,” he said.

It was after completing rituals at their Thottamon home that the family brought Janakiamma’s body to the crematorium. Jojimon had paid ₹7,000 prior to the panchayat office for the cremation. The crematorium, owned by the Ranni-Pazhavangadi grama panchayat, began functioning in 2023 and is operated by two temporary staff, Ajayan Sukumaran of Chellakkad and Sreejith of Cherukulamgara.

According to Jojimon, one of the employees handed him camphor and asked him to light it near the foot of the body. When the matchbox failed, Pradeep offered his lighter, and the staff member lit the camphor before passing it to Jojimon.

“As I tried to light the camphor, suddenly there was fire. I almost fell onto the iron stretcher placed just before me. My grandmother’s body caught fire, too. If we had delayed even a little, the gas might have filled the room, leading to a disaster,” he recalled.

The chamber room reportedly had around 10 gas cylinders and no ventilation. Pradeep said the power supply tripped during the fire, plunging the hall into darkness, before relatives themselves managed to close the chamber door. “The staff were terrified and weren’t able even to close it,” said Rajesh. The family rushed the injured to the Ranni government hospital in their own vehicles.

Rajesh alleged that no safety briefing was given and that the crematorium lacked even basic facilities. “We didn’t see any fire extinguishers or first-aid kits. The windows were also closed, hindering ventilation,” said Rajesh.

Pradeep added, “It feels like negligence from the panchayat. We haven’t filed a police complaint yet, but we will. Police told us that Jojimon’s injuries could have been fatal had the burns been deeper.”

Panchayat president Ruby Koshy admitted that the fire was triggered after staff switched on the gas connection before the chamber was properly closed. “Relatives are not allowed to enter the chamber area. Practices like lighting camphor should be done outside. This was a serious lapse,” she said.

The panchayat convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday, issued memos to the staff, and promised further action. “They will likely be removed, and replacements will be appointed after public notification,” Ruby added.

She also emphasised that the crematorium, which handles one or two bodies per month for four panchayats, had never encountered such an incident before. “The staff were trained, but they failed to follow protocol. We will ensure stricter procedures.”

Meanwhile, relatives insist the focus should be on preventing future incidents and negligence that happens from both the staff and the panchayat. “The employees later told us someone unknowingly opened the gas valve. We don’t want anyone to lose their jobs. But no other family should go through what we faced,” said Pradeep.