Multiple people have died after an explosion at a firecracker factory in Kerala, India
The blast occurred in Mundathikode, Thrissur, at 15:30 local time on 21 April 2026. It is understood that around 40 people were assembling firecrackers at a makeshift site comprising temporary sheds in India’s southern state. While initial reports indicated that 13 people had been killed, this has since risen to 17, with several people reported to be in critical condition.
The Hindu reports that the explosion led to a fire that engulfed multiple structures, gutting five of the eight sheds operating at the site. Several units contained “large quantities of explosive materials”.
The explosion was felt a few kilometres away, with around 60 residences in the vicinity affected, shattering windowpanes and causing some structural damage to homes. It is believed that poor road access hampered emergency response, and a secondary blast took place due to the “presence of unexploded fireworks materials”. This second incident led emergency services to revise their firefighting operations and “proceed with heightened caution”. Drones were also deployed to help with rescue efforts.
According to BBC News, this is the second such incident to occur at a firecracker factory in recent weeks, after an explosion in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu killed at least 25 people on 20 April.
The fireworks at the Thrissur site were being prepared ahead of the major religious festival, Thrissur Pooram, with Kerala's Revenue Minister K Rajan telling the BBC that the units had “permission to manufacture and store fireworks in designated areas”.
In a meeting held on 23 April, authorities opted to proceed without the fireworks display at this year’s festival. According to The News Minute, the decision to scale down the festivities reflected a “cautious balance between preserving tradition and ensuring public safety”.
An investigation to examine the cause of the explosion is ongoing.