'We saw a fireball': How eyewitnesses described the devastation of the Kerala serial blast

It was around 9.30 am, and over 2,500 people had assembled at the Zamra International Convention Centre in Kalamassery, 20 kilometres from Kochi, for a three-day zonal conference of the Christian group Jehovah’s Witnesses, which always began with a two-minute prayer at this time. But Sunday, the last day of prayer gatherings, was not like any other day for these people. Individuals at the convention centre closed their eyes in prayer, only to be greeted by a terrible bomb that killed three individuals and injured nearly 50 more. “There was only fire and smoke in the hall,” Michael, who was clothed in purple shirt and black cotton trousers, told Hindustan Times. According to witnesses, at least three explosions occurred within the convention hall, reports newspaper Mathrubhumi. “The explosion occurred seconds after the end of a prayer as part of the day’s event. The first blast took place in the middle of the hall. Seconds later, two more explosions rocked simultaneously on either sides of the hall,” TA Sreekumar, regional spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses told mathrubhumi.com. ‘All I saw was a fireball’ Amidst the chaos that followed the explosion at their prayer convention in Kalamassery, eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying moments that left the venue in a state of shock and grief in this Kerala town. Outside the convention centre where hundreds had gathered, faces were etched with anxiety and tears. Inside, amidst the gloom and mystery that enveloped the site, police officers and firefighters searched for injured attendees. Recounting her shocking experience, a senior woman said, “when I opened my eyes after hearing the first blast, all I saw was a fireball in front of me. Nothing…nothing more…just a fireball. Everybody ran scattered here and there. It was a sprawling hall, and a large number of people were inside.” [caption id=“attachment_13316222” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Kerala mMinisters K Rajan, VN Vasavan and others meet the injured of the Kochi’s convention centre explosion, at a hospital in Ernakulam. PTI[/caption] The death toll from a series of blasts at a convention centre in Kerala’s Kalamassery rose to three on Monday, with over 50 others injured during a gathering of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian religious group that originated in the United States in the 19 Century. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, video footage from inside the hall shows a thick plume of smoke, muted screams of people trying to escape, and hundreds of chairs thrown about, some of them on fire. Kuriachan KM, who had come from Angamaly town, 20 kilometres away, to attend the three-hour meet, told Hindustan Times that these three-day regional meetings were an annual affair. “This year’s theme was ‘kshama’ or patience. I cannot believe something like this could happen at our event. Why would anyone do such a thing?” ‘Never witnessed anything like this’ Among the distressed crowd at the venue were senior citizens, including women who had actively participated in the morning prayers. A man in his 70s, his voice trembling, described the shock of witnessing a blast amidst the densely populated prayer convention. “I was standing at the side of the hall, praying with my eyes closed. Suddenly, a shocking blast was heard from nearby. I saw only fire around and ran to the door along with others,” he said, wiping away tears. In all his years of attending the convention the attendee had never witnessed anything like this before, he said. [caption id=“attachment_13316212” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] People gather outside following a blast at the Zamra convention center in Kalamassery, a town in Kochi, Kerala. AP[/caption] Another woman, her hands placed on her forehead, struggled to find the strength to recall the events during the prayers. “There were several elderly people and children among the participants,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion. The eyewitness accounts depicted a horrifying scene. The convention centre, previously known for hosting weddings, turned into a site of tragedy and horror on Sunday morning. Many local residents were unaware that a prayer convention was being held there. While eyewitnesses recounted a series of explosions, after preliminary investigation police officials maintained that there was a single blast. The blast was caused due to an improvised explosive device (IED), Kerala DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb said. ‘The blast was caused by an IED’ Later in the evening, a man named Dominic Martin, who said he was associated with the Jehovah’s Witnesses for 16 years, claimed responsibility for the blast and surrendered at the Kodakara police station in Thrissur. He posted a video message on a social media network claiming responsibility for the Kalamassery bombings. The man claimed in the video that he took the decision as the teachings of the organisation were “seditious.” As per a report in News18, Martin claimed that the centre was allegedly preaching anti-national ideas. Ajith Kumar, ADGP (law and order), stated that his team was verifying Dominic Martin’s statements and that his psychological issues are also being followed. He stated that every facet of the case would be thoroughly investigated. According to the early investigation, the blast was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), said Kerala DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb, reports News 18. The explosives were kept in a tiffin box, according to the sources quoted by NDTV. The Kerala DGP stated that the police are investigating all possibilities. “We will find out who is behind this and take stringent action against them,” declared the top police official. NIA and NSG to investigate the incident The incident was described as “unfortunate” by Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Following the blasts, State Health Minister Veena George has asked government healthcare staff to deliver high-quality care. An eight-member team from the National Security Guard, India’s counter-terrorism squad, is also on its way to Kerala to investigate, according to media reports. According to reports, Union Home Minister Amit Shah discussed the situation with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He also directed that the NIA and the NSG arrive on the scene and begin an investigation into the incident. With inputs from PTI