Kannur, Aug 30 A person was killed in a powerful explosion that ripped through a rented house in Keezhara of Kerala's Kannur district on Saturday, leaving the entire village in shock.
The body parts were found scattered in the debris, and several nearby homes sustained damage.
Initial investigations suggest that the blast occurred during the making of country-made bombs, though some reports claim that firecracker-making was being cited to mask the illegal activity.
No license had been issued for manufacturing fireworks, strengthening suspicions of bomb production.
Unexploded crude bombs were recovered from the site during inspections by the bomb squad.
The house, owned by retired teacher Govindan, had been rented by Anoop, a known supplier of fireworks.
Police have registered a case against him under the Explosives Act.
Investigators suspect the deceased was one of his workers, reportedly a native of Mattul, though this is yet to be officially confirmed.
Residents described the terrifying impact of the blast.
"We heard a massive sound at 2.00 a.m. When we rushed to the spot, the house had collapsed. We saw a body, but it was covered with debris. Only the legs were visible," said a local witness.
Villagers also reported seeing people frequently arriving at the house on two-wheelers, mostly at night, but few knew who they were.
The house usually remained dark, raising suspicions only after the explosion.
The shockwave damaged nearby homes, shattering glass panes, breaking doors, and creating cracks in walls.
"It must have been a very powerful explosive, not just firecrackers, to bring down a whole tiled-roof house," another villager remarked.
Police, bomb squad, fire force, and dog squad units continue to comb the site.
The body recovered has been shifted to the hospital for post-mortem examination.
Police said that Anoop is already an accused in a similar case in 2016 in Podikundu, Kannur, where explosives had gone off in a residential house.
Meanwhile, the discovery of large quantities of explosives has once again highlighted the recurring problem of illegal bomb-making in Kannur, a district often scarred by politically-linked violence and explosive-related incidents.
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