Kerala blasts: CM Vijayan says probe progressing efficiently

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that the probe into the multiple blasts at a religious gathering that claimed three lives, was ”progressing efficiently”.

The CM, in a post on social media platform X, also urged people to steer clear of controversies in connection with the blasts and to face it with restraint and unity.

He said this after visiting the blast site and meeting with the families of the victims who lost their lives in the tragic incident.

”Visited the Zamra International Convention & Exhibition Centre at Kalamassery today to assess the situation after Sunday’s blast. Met with the grieving relatives of Kumari and Leona Paulus.

”Also, checked in on those receiving treatment at the medical college, ensuring that they get necessary care. The investigation is progressing efficiently. Let’s face this with restraint and unity, and steer clear of unnecessary controversies,” he said on X.

The blasts occurred at a convention centre in Kalamassery near Kochi that was hosting a prayer meeting of the Jehovah’s Witnesses — a Christian religious group that originated in the US in the 19th century — on Sunday.

Initially, one woman had died and 60 were injured, six of them critically, in the blasts.

Subsequently, one of the six critically injured — a 53-year-old woman — succumbed to her injuries.

By Monday morning, the death toll rose to three with the death of a 12-year-old girl who had suffered 95 per cent burns in the incident.