The Kerala government will hold a meeting with the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady Devaswoms, along with the district administration, on Thursday to decide on the conduct of the Thrissur Pooram in the wake of the explosion at a firecracker unit in Mundathikode that claimed 14 lives.

Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan said on Wednesday that the state cabinet will convene at 10.30 am, followed by a meeting involving all stakeholders of the Pooram to assess the situation and decide the way forward.

Earlier, Paramekkavu Devaswom secretary G Ragesh and Thiruvambady Devaswom official Gireesh Kumar said they would abide by any decision taken by the government. Calling the tragedy unfortunate, they said they would adhere to official instructions as well as the sentiments of the public.

Speaking to the media, Ragesh said devotees have requested that the ‘kudamattam’ (umbrella exchange) and melam (traditional percussion ensemble) be held as usual. “In 2016, when a blast occurred on the Paramekkavu premises, the Pooram rituals, including the umbrella exchange, were conducted as scheduled, while the fireworks display was held two days later,” he said.

He added that a final decision on this year’s celebrations would be taken after discussions with authorities, but indicated that fireworks are unlikely. “Only a symbolic display may be held,” he said, noting that the manufactured firecracker materials may have to be destroyed.

The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon at a unit manufacturing firecrackers for the Thiruvambady Devaswom for the Thrissur Pooram. The blast claimed 14 lives, while several others were injured, with five reported to be in critical condition.

In the wake of the incident, the Thiruvambady Devaswom has announced a mourning period until April 24. During this time, only ‘parayadup’ rituals will be conducted, and decorative lighting will be avoided as a mark of respect.

The devaswom added that while celebrations will remain subdued during the mourning period, all traditional rituals—from flag hoisting to flag lowering—will be carried out in accordance with custom, reflecting the collective decision of devotees.

DNA samples collected
District Collector Shikha Surendran on Wednesday said that DNA samples collected from body parts recovered following the explosion at a fireworks unit in Thrissur will be matched with those of the relatives of missing persons to aid identification.

Samples have been extracted from body parts recovered from the site, along with those from four families whose members have been untraceable. She added that the mother of one of the missing persons is yet to arrive to provide her sample, after which it will be sent for testing.

The results may take up to 10 days, but they are expected to be available within three to four days, she said.

Earlier, the Kerala government convened a special Cabinet meeting and declared the explosion a state disaster. The Cabinet also ordered a judicial probe into the incident, and appointed a one-member commission headed by Justice C N Ramachandran to investigate the tragedy.