Temple fire tragedy: Kerala to seek Rs 117 crore aid from Centre

KANNUR: The Kerala government today said it would seek Rs 117 crore aid from the Centre for rehabilitating victims who suffered losses in the April 10 Puttingal Devi Temple fire tragedy at Kollam that killed 108 persons.

"The assistance has been sought for rehabilitation of the injured, compensation to be paid for property loss suffered and treatment expenses of the injured," Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters here today.

The Chief Minister stated that many of the injured in the fire, which had damaged several houses in and around the temple, would not be able to do any work for the rest of their lives.

A three member cabinet sub-committee,comprising Ministers Adoor Prakesh, V S Sivakumar and Shibu Baby John had visited the site and taken stock of the damage caused, he said.

The government decided to seek the central aid after considering the report submitted by the committee, he said.

The tragedy had struck around 3.30 AM on Sunday during a display of fireworks at the temple complex, where thousands of people had gathered to witness it.

The mishap occurred as sparks from fireworks fell on the storeroom 'Kambapura' and the crackers kept there exploded. The blaze spread quickly trapping devotees within the complex.

More than 300 injured persons are still undergoing treatment at hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.