Strong rooms, unsealed rooms should not be opened under any circumstance: EC
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The EC on Tuesday issued clear directions to all district election officers and returning officers in Kerala not to open any strong rooms or unsealed rooms in counting centres under any circumstances before the day of counting.
The direction was issued by Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rathan U Kelkar following reports that a strong room storing EVMs in the Perambra constituency in Kozhikode was opened on Monday, and that there were reported plans to open another in the Nenmara constituency in Palakkad.
“It has been reiterated that under no circumstances shall any strong rooms or unsealed rooms be opened or accessed for the purpose of preparing Index Cards or verifying data on the ENCORE portal.
“All concerned officers have been directed to ensure strict compliance with these instructions to safeguard the integrity, transparency, and security of the electoral process,” a statement issued by Kelkar’s office said.
Responding to a TV channel’s query on the matter, senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan said that, according to election laws and rules, no one is supposed to go near strong rooms.
“So, why was the material room kept close to the strong room? There is something suspicious about it. The party and the UDF are looking into the matter very seriously. There has to be a proper probe into the matter,” he contended.
“Overall, it appears that steps are being taken by the state and central governments to sabotage the people’s verdict. That is what we understand from these incidents,” he claimed.
Later in the day, Palakkad District Collector Madhavikutty M S, in a statement, termed reports that the strong room containing electronic voting machines used in the Nenmara constituency had been opened as incorrect.
The collector said the returning officer had informed representatives of all candidates that a room where election documents were kept would be opened to prepare ENCORE data before the counting of votes.
This room was in the same building as the strong room, and representatives of the candidates and videography teams were present at the centre in the morning, the statement said.
However, in view of the spread of false news that the strong room had been opened, the collector, as instructed by the chief electoral officer, directed the RO not to open the room containing election documents, it said.
The collector also instructed all returning officers not to open any rooms at counting centres where EVMs are kept before counting begins, without instructions from the CEO.
On Monday, the Kozhikode district administration had clarified that no strong room was opened.
Collector Snehil Kumar Singh, who is also the district election officer, had said that an unsealed “material room” at JDT Islam Higher Secondary School was opened in the presence of candidates’ agents to verify and update polling records.
He said in a statement that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs were securely stored in a sealed strong room on the first floor of the building under the supervision of central observers and candidates’ agents, and that the strong room had not been opened.
However, leaders of the Congress and the party-led UDF alleged that the incident amounted to a violation of election rules.
The results of the April 9 Assembly polls in 140 constituencies in the state will be declared on May 4.
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Kerala: Blast at fireworks unit rips through paddy field, leaving death, devastation
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): Scenes from a powerful explosion at a fireworks unit in Mundathicode were heartbreaking, as rescuers—mostly residents—described how the blast tore through a quiet paddy field, killing at least 12 people, injuring several others, and leaving widespread destruction.
Columns of thick black smoke rose high into the sky from a cluster of temporary sheds erected in the middle of the field, where firecrackers were being prepared for a local annual festival known for its spectacular fireworks and percussion ensembles.
A routine workday quickly descended into chaos at around 3.30 pm.
Firefighters and rescue personnel who rushed to the isolated site were forced to stop midway as intermittent explosions continued, sending shockwaves across the area.
Unable to approach, they sprayed water from a distance, waiting for the blasts to subside before moving in.
Television visuals and eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture—residents, among the first to reach the spot, were seen carrying the injured across uneven, slushy terrain and collecting scattered human remains.
“Parts of bodies were lying scattered. We helped gather them and send them to hospitals,” said a local man, his voice trembling.
Officials said around 40 workers were believed to have been present at the unit at the time of the explosion, many of whom suffered burn injuries, several of them critical.
The injured were rushed to hospitals, mainly the Government Medical College, Thrissur, as ambulances shuttled between the remote site and medical facilities.
Wilson, one of the surviving workers, recalled the terrifying moment.
“There was a sudden flash beside me and then fire… after that, I don’t remember anything,” he said. He maintained that all workers at the unit were Malayalees and that no migrant labourers were employed.
According to him, the unit had been operating in compliance with safety norms.
“There was nothing illegal. Maybe the extreme heat or direct sunlight on the gunpowder triggered the fire,” he said.
Residents said the fireworks unit had functioned in the area for years without incident, making the scale of Tuesday’s tragedy even more shocking. The sound of the explosion was heard kilometres away, and some nearby houses reportedly suffered damage.
Even hours after the initial blast, occasional explosions and the risk of igniting stored firecrackers continued to hamper rescue operations, with fire and police personnel proceeding cautiously through the debris.
As smoke slowly cleared over the once tranquil fields, festive anticipation surrounding the Pooram gave way to grief, with families anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones and authorities struggling to ascertain the exact toll in what is among the worst such accidents in the region in recent times.
