In Kerala, use of dangerous chemicals, flouting of explosives rules caused tragedy: experts

Fireworks industry experts from Sivakasi say destruction on such a scale can only be caused by use of dynamite

The explosion at the 100-year-old Puttingal temple at Kollam district, Kerala, on Sunday is one of the worst tragedies in the history of Kerala. The accident has so far claimed over 110 lives, but the question is whether an accident of this magnitude can simply be attributed to firecrackers, which are more commonly used on a much smaller scale on weddings or festivals like Diwali.
 
Fire and explosive experts say there’s more to the incident than the accidental setting off of a cache of firecrackers.
 
Preliminary inquiries by the police reveal that sparks from a high-intensity pyrotechnic display spread to a storehouse adjoining the temple, where a large cache of explosives was stocked, resulting in the massive blast whose impact was felt as far as 2 kilometres away.

 

Business Standard spoke to industry representatives from Sivakasi, the national hub for the firecracker industry, industry veterans, and chemical experts who work with regulators and government agencies to understand whether fireworks alone can cause such an explosion.
 
All of them have reviewed the videos and pictures of the Kollam accident and most of them point out that, first and foremost, a firecracker is an explosive with a very low intensity blast and can at most burn down a place if present in a huge quantity.
 
Second, they say, the blast intensity of a firecracker cannot blow a building made up of cement and bricks to pieces as it did in Kollam.

 
“This destruction generally require dynamite, which is used in granite quarries,” said a senior industry representatives from Sivakasi.
 
Some pictures from the site show sticks tightly tied together with ropes. If these things tied together exploded, it likely increased the magnitude of destruction. They are similar to explosives which are used in quarries, which typically uses dynamites sticks tied together for greater blast force. A video that captured the last few minutes of the fireworks display at Kollam shows the explosions as if they were straight out of a war scene, which can't be created by ordinary firecrackers.

 
The industry representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigations are still underway, noted that after the 2006 Thrissur Pooram fireworks production unit accident, it was found that around 1,000 gundus, 125 'Amittu', 60 dynamites of different varieties and 1,500 meter-long palm-leaf crackers were at the Maidan for the Pooram fireworks display. On the other side, they had kept 100 'Amittu' , 400 'Kuzhiminni' (sub-surface dynamites) and 60 dynamites. This is a classic instance of passing off the use of such hazardous materials as fireworks.
 
Experts said gunpowder, which is a mix of various chemicals including Potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulphur, is used in various forms of firework displays. Potassium nitrate is 75% of the material, while charcoal is typically 15% and sulphur, 10 per cent. Potassium nitrate is the main fuel while the other two help it burn better.

 
However, the quantity of the combination is often changed to create different pyrotechnic effects. If chemicals like ammonium nitrate or nitro cellulose are used instead of potassium nitrate, it makes for much stronger, but highly dangerous, explosives. Chlorides of Sodium, potassium and calcium are also often added to give colour to a firecracker.
A typical cracker produced at Sivakasi is barely more than three inches, while the ones found at the Kollam site were as big as a foot high, and at times 100 times bigger than a normal-sized one. The larger size is meant to accommodate more chemicals and explosives inside.

 
Potassium chlorate, a banned chemical, is used widely in Kerala to make fireworks louder. When safe alternatives such as potassium perchlorate are available, it is unwise to use potassium chlorate, said an official from the explosives department.
 
Industry members in Kerala also say that the approval from the government has to be given according to the space available for the display. For instance, a temple or church in the middle of a city or which has lesser space for the display should not be allowed to conduct such large displays.
 
This was the case in Kollam, where the space for display was comparatively less given the amount of fireworks. According to witnesses present there, there were no barricades at the site, which is mandatory for such displays. The Explosives Rule - 2008 insists on a minimum of 100-metre distance between the display area and spectators.

 
Flouting of rules formed by authorities regarding making and use of firecrackers has been a major cause of concern in the state where fireworks are traditionally part of a large number of local festivals. The Supreme Court order restricting fireworks display between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. is also being blatantly violated by festival organisers.