Thiruvananthapuram, 22 April (H.S.): The Kerala government on Wednesday ordered a judicial inquiry into the deadly fireworks accident at Mundathikkode in Thrissur district, elevating the probe from an earlier magisterial investigation.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, which appointed Justice C.N. Ramachandran to lead the inquiry. The government will also declare the incident a “special disaster,” enabling enhanced relief and rehabilitation measures.

Announcing compensation, the Cabinet sanctioned ₹14 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. Of this, ₹10 lakh will be disbursed from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, while the remaining ₹4 lakh will come from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Injured victims will receive ₹2 lakh each.

The government has assured free medical treatment for all those injured, with the state bearing treatment expenses for up to six months. In cases requiring extended care, a medical board will recommend further treatment, including at empanelled private hospitals, with costs covered by the relief fund.

Authorities will also assess damage to houses and buildings in the affected area, with compensation to be decided accordingly. Ministers K. Rajan and V.N. Vasavan said the government is committed to comprehensive rehabilitation of victims and affected families.

Additionally, the Cabinet directed the State Disaster Management Authority to issue standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling fatalities, including burial protocols and DNA sample collection for identification.

An emergency allocation of ₹50 lakh has been sanctioned from the disaster response fund for immediate relief measures.

On the conduct of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram festival, the government said a final decision will be taken only after consulting both Devaswoms and the Cochin Devaswom Board, stressing that no unilateral decision will be made.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman