‘When I opened my eyes, saw fire, smoke…’: Eyewitnesses recall horror of Kerala serial blasts – Gudstory

Narrating the incident, an eyewitness VK Michael, a man in his 50s, said he closed his eyes for the initial prayer on the last day of a three-day regional convention of Christian group Jehovah’s Witnesses at a convention center .

Adding more, he said that about 2,500 other people present at the conference also closed their eyes in unison, and barely a minute after the prayers had begun, there was a loud explosion inside the hall.

“I was shaken and when I opened my eyes I saw fire and smoke in the hall. This happened in the middle of the hall near where the console was kept. I was just five rows back.” Hindustan Times Michael, who was dressed in a purple shirt and black cotton pants, recalled an incident outside the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Center in Kalamassery.

Also read: Kerala blasts: Who is Dominic Martin who claimed to have carried out the bomb blast at the prayer meeting?

“Just two seconds later, there was a second explosion and more fire and smoke. Without panicking and creating chaos, we slowly moved towards the exit. At these meetings we are always given specific instructions from the organizers about what to do in the event of a fire or explosion. So, we followed their instructions and came out.”

Reports said that soon after the blast, Michael packed his family, including his wife and two children, into an autorickshaw while he waited for his personal vehicle to be taken out.

He also said that many people could not get out of their vehicles as police had secured the premises of the convention center after the blast.

Meanwhile, several eyewitnesses claim they heard multiple explosions at the convention centre.

A person present at the convention center was quoted as saying, India Today “The explosion occurred in the center of the hall. I heard three sounds from the explosion. I was at the back. There was a lot of smoke. I heard that a woman had died,” the report said.

A similar statement was also given by another person who was sitting towards the front of the hall.

He said, as quoted it“There are six entry and exit points in the hall. I was sitting in the front. Suddenly there was an explosion. We all got out safely, but there was a lot of smoke everywhere. The fire that broke out did not spread to the entire hall and was confined to that spot only. It was limited to where the explosion occurred.”

Outside the convention center in Kalamassery, a middle-aged woman from Kadavanthra, on condition of anonymity, said she heard at least three consecutive explosions within seconds during morning prayers.

“We were sitting towards the back of the hall. When I opened my eyes, there was fire and smoke in the middle of the hall. Everyone was confused as to what happened. Soon, smoke spread into the hall and breathing became difficult, especially for the elderly.” Hindustan Times He was quoted as saying.

“We first allowed those who were injured to leave the hall and then we moved towards the exit door. I saw some injured people and they were in bad condition due to burns.”

According to early visuals from inside the hall, a fire could be seen in the middle and a dark plume of smoke was rising upwards. Also, dozens of chairs were scattered around, indicating the panic of the attendees after the blasts.

Kuriachan KM, who came from Angamaly town with his family, said, “Every year, we hold such regional conferences with prayers, seminars and talks. This year’s theme was ‘Forgiveness’ or patience. There are trained speakers who Let’s talk about different topics. It’s like sitting in a school class.”

“I can’t believe something like this could happen in our program. This has never happened before in Kerala. “I don’t know why anyone would do that,” he said.

The accused surrendered:

Meanwhile, a man named Dominic Martin, a Kochi native, claiming responsibility for the blast, surrendered at Kodakara police station in Thrissur district, hours after the blast.

He claimed to be a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses and handed over some evidence related to his role in the attack which is being investigated.

What do the police say?

According to preliminary investigation, the explosive was packed in a tiffin box and the first blast occurred at 9:40 am. Kerala Director General of Police Sheikh Darvesh Saheb said that an improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the attack.

“We are investigating it,” he said.

With agency input.

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Updated: October 29, 2023, 09:14 PM IST