After tragedy, Kerala temple remains shut

Kollam (Kerala), April 11:

A day after the fire tragedy, the Puttingal Devi temple in the coastal town of Paravur in Kerala remained closed on Monday.

The customary pujas and other associated activities of the temple were not performed, residents living in the neighbourhood said. No responsible official of the temple trust was present in the premises.

The temple building appeared to be largely unaffected while a concrete building nearby where a large quantity of fireworks was stored was destroyed after a horrific fire and explosion on Sunday morning.

Senior officials of the temple remain unreachable.

On Monday morning, the temple compound was filled with locals and others from nearby places who had come to see the disaster site. A large number of policemen were also posted at the site. (IANS)