2 dead, 45 hurt in blasts at prayer meet in Kerala

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 29

Two women died and 45 persons were injured, some seriously, in three blasts at a Christian religious gathering in Kerala on Sunday morning. Hours after the incident, a 48-year-old man, who claimed to have carried out the blasts, surrendered before the police in Thrissur district.

NIA, NSG teams sent to explosion site

• The blasts ripped through a congregation of Jehovah’s Witness at Kalamassery
• Dominic Martin, who claimed responsibility for the blasts, belongs to the same sect
• An NIA team reaches the spot for investigation, an NSG team also sent

The blasts had ripped through a congregation of Jehovah’s Witness — a small sect within Christianity — at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Kalamassery, 10 km north-east of Kochi.

Some 2,000 people were present on the final day of a three-day convention when the blasts occurred. The police said 45 injured were undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Eighteen persons have been admitted to ICUs.

Dominic Martin, who claimed responsibility for the blasts, belongs to the same sect that had organised the prayer meet. He was arrested for having planted the bomb.

Visuals of the remote control used to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) were found on Martin’s phone. He had also posted a statement on Facebook before surrendering to the police.

Jehovah’s Witnesses is counted as a Christian religious group. It originated in the US in the 19th century. There are about 60,000 members of the sect in India.

News agencies quoted Kerala Director General of Police Shaik Darvesh Saheb as saying that a preliminary investigation had revealed that explosions were caused by IEDs. The police will constitute a special team for further investigation. In a post on X, the Kerala Police said strict action would be taken against those who spread fake news through the social media promoting communal hatred.

Meanwhile, an eight-member National Security Guard team has been sent to Kerala to inquire about the bomb explosion.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah called up Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the blasts. Terming the blasts as unfortunate, Vijayan said the act was being viewed seriously.

The blasts will be investigated by the National Investigation Agency, which specialises in counter-terrorism operations. The agency’s forensic team has already reached the spot and is collecting evidence. Visuals of the incident showed rescue and police personnel in large numbers evacuating people from the site, which was later cordoned off.

Disturbing videos from inside the convention centre showed multiple fires inside the hall as people and children were heard screaming.

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