Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], April 22 : At least 13 people have died after a fire broke out at a fireworks storage facility in Mundathikode in Thrissur district, as confirmed by Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Kerala government convened an online Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to review the situation and announce relief measures for the victims and their families.
According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the next of kin of those who lost their lives will be provided immediate financial assistance of Rs 14 lakh. This includes Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an additional Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).
The Cabinet has also directed the State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority to classify the Thrissur Mundathikode fireworks storage explosion as a "special disaster," enabling additional support measures and expedited response mechanisms.
To ascertain the cause of the explosion and fix accountability, the government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. A single-member judicial commission, headed by Justice CN Ramachandran Nair, has been constituted to conduct a detailed investigation.
The CMO stated that those injured in the blast will receive eligible compensation under the Disaster Response Fund, along with an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund as immediate assistance.
The government will bear the treatment expenses for the injured for six months in both government and private hospitals. The required funds can be sanctioned from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund based on the recommendation of the District Collector. In addition, eligible financial assistance will be provided from the Disaster Response Fund.
If treatment is required beyond six months, the expenses can be covered from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund in recommended private hospitals, based on the decision of a medical board, as per the CMO.
To facilitate search and rescue operations, walls of private properties were demolished and fields were levelled. The actual cost of restoring these to their original condition will be sanctioned from the Disaster Response Fund based on the District Collector's recommendation.
The State Executive Committee has also been directed to issue a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the burial of bodies and collection of samples for DNA matching related to the disaster.
The earlier decision to allocate Rs 50 lakh from the Disaster Response Fund for emergency response has been ratified. The District Collector has been authorised to utilise this amount for disaster response expenses, the CMO stated.
Further, the District Collector has been tasked with conducting a detailed assessment of damage to nearby houses caused by the explosion and submitting a report to facilitate compensation through the SDRF.
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