Kannur, August 30 (IANS) — A powerful explosion at a rented house in Kannapuram, Kannur, early Saturday morning left one person dead and another injured, triggering panic in the area.
The deceased has been identified as Muhammed Asham, a resident of Chalad in Kannur city. The injured person is yet to be named officially. Police initially suspected a crude bomb blast but later clarified that the explosion was caused by a large cache of firecrackers.
According to officials, the blast occurred around 2 a.m., completely destroying the house and reducing it to rubble. The force of the explosion tore Asham’s body apart, with his remains scattered across the site. Shockwaves damaged nearby houses, shattering doors and windows and leaving cracks in the walls of several buildings.
The house had been rented by Anoop Malik, a resident of Alavil in Kannur, who is currently absconding. Asham was reportedly a relative of Malik. A bomb disposal squad and fire and rescue personnel, who rushed to the scene, recovered several unexploded firecrackers, reinforcing suspicions that the premises were being used for illegal firecracker manufacturing or storage.
Police have registered a case against Malik under the Explosives Act. The owner of the house, Govindan, told the media that Malik had claimed he and two others were operating a spare parts shop in Pariyaram, about 40 km away, while taking the house on rent.
Police sources revealed that Malik is not new to such cases. In 2016, he was an accused in a similar blast at Podikund in Kannur, where an explosion at his rented residence destroyed about 15 houses and partially damaged 30 others. That incident left around 10 people, including Malik’s wife and daughter, injured, and his two-storey house was completely demolished.
Investigators believe Malik had been manufacturing firecrackers for temple festivals and celebrations. Local residents claimed they were unaware of any such activities, saying the tenants were reclusive, often returning late at night and avoiding interactions with neighbors.
The latest incident has once again raised concerns over the unchecked and illegal production of firecrackers in Kannur, a district with a history of accidental blasts linked to explosives and crude bombs.
Police teams are conducting a detailed investigation to determine the full scale of the operation and to trace Malik, who remains at large. Authorities are also probing whether the firecrackers were intended for local festivals or for large-scale distribution.
