Kerala: Woman killed in blast at Christian prayer meeting
What's the story
A woman was killed and over 35 were reportedly injured in a blast at the convention center of a Christian group at Kalamassery in Kerala's Kochi on Sunday. The explosion happened during a prayer meeting of the Christian denomination "Jehovah's Witnesses." Police said they were on the spot to investigate along with the Kerala Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), per PTI.
Twitter Post
Watch: Visuals after blast
#WATCH | Visuals from Ernakulam, Kerala where one person died, and several injured in an explosion at a Convention Centre in Kalamassery https://t.co/hir8k808v2 pic.twitter.com/305HuzA4gg
— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2023
Details
Cause of blast is not known yet: Police
According to Kalamassery Police, they rushed to the spot as soon as they got the information at around 9:00am. They said the cause of the blast or whether there was more than one wasn't confirmed. On the other hand, people familiar with the development said that explosives were placed in a tiffin box. The injured persons were rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital.
Reports
Home Minister Amit Shah dials CM Pinarayi Vijayan
There were over 2,000 people inside the hall when the blast took place. State Industries Minister P Rajeev said that information about the nature of the blast or if anyone was behind it was not known presently. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to CM Pinarayi Vijayan on the phone to take stock of the aftermath of the situation.
Eyewitness
Some reports claimed 3 blasts took place inside hall
Kerala DGP Dr. Shaik Darvesh Saheb said a preliminary investigation indicated that an IED device was used. Some eyewitnesses claimed that three explosions had taken place within a few minutes, per Mathrubhumi.com. "The first blast took place in the middle of the hall. Seconds later, two more explosions rocked simultaneously on either sides of the hall," Regional Spokesperson of Jehovah's Witnesses TA Sreekumar said.
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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expresses shock
Shocked and dismayed by the news of a bomb attack on a religious gathering in Kerala. https://t.co/orisy8neSD
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 29, 2023
I condemn it unreservedly & demand swift police action. But that’s not enough. To see my state falling prey to the mentality of killing and destruction is tragic. I urge…