Thrissur: Satheesan (46), the licence holder for Thiruvambady Devaswom’s fireworks, died on Friday while undergoing treatment at Government Medical College Hospital, Thrissur.

He had sustained severe burn injuries in the explosion at a fireworks unit in Mundathikode and had been on ventilator support. He succumbed to his injuries at around 3.30 pm.

Satheesan, a native of Mundathikode Panthalangattu, stepped into the fireworks industry 13 years ago by taking over Mani Fireworks, a venture named after his father, Mundathikod Mani. Residents remember Mani as the master of fireworks during temple festivals. People would come from far to marvel at Mani asan's pyrotechnics during temple festivals across villages in Thrissur and Palakkad.

Satheesh provided steady employment to around 60 workers and went on to organise fireworks displays for both Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswom during Thrissur Pooram for several years. He also created spectacular fireworks for numerous temple festivals and church feasts, earning a reputation in the field. Notably, he made history by simultaneously arranging fireworks for both Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, when festivals and church feasts came to a halt, Satheesh turned to fish farming to support his family. Along with his half-brother Saji, a fellow fireworks artist and a Wadakkanchery Block Panchayat member, he began aquaculture at Velur Chungam Mavinchuvadu. The sheds and facilities once used for fireworks manufacturing were converted into agricultural support units.

After this year’s Thrissur Pooram, Satheesh had decided to step away from the fireworks industry and fully transition into agriculture. Satheesan had suffered 90 per cent burns in the explosion. He is survived by his two daughters.

The Mundathikode explosion, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon, claimed 15 lives so far and left several others injured. The State government has declared the incident a disaster and appointed a one-member judicial commission led by Justice CN Ramachandran Nair to probe the cause and circumstances of the explosion.

Meanwhile, search operations are continuing in the blast zone. The police recovered a completely burnt human head on Thursday from a paddy field, approximately 300 meters away from the epicentre where the manufacturing unit once stood. The search team, utilising a systematic grid search method, found the remains amidst a landscape already scarred by the blast that occurred earlier this week.

The police initiated the grid search based on the suspicion that the explosion’s trajectory had thrown victims’ remains into the surrounding five-acre Kootamkulam paddy field.