Deadly firecracker tragedies in Kerala

The Kollam temple fire that led to the death of over 100 devotees is not the first such firecracker-related accident in Kerala.

A man walks past damaged structures at the spot where a massive fire broke out during a fireworks display at the Puttingal temple complex in Paravoor village, Kollam district, southern Kerala state, India, Monday, April 11, 2016. Rescue officials on Monday sifted through the Hindu temple in southern India where more than 100 died when a fireworks display - an unauthorized pyrotechnic display that went horribly wrong - swept through for a religious festival packed with thousands. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

As a part of the annual temple festival, a huge fireworks ceremony was held at Paravur Puttingal Devi temple, near Kollam. The explosion was caused when the storehouse of the fireworks materials caught fire on Sunday (March 10) and led to the > death of over 100 devotees .

This is not the first such firecracker-related accident in Kerala. More than 750 such accidents have taken place in the last 20 years in the State.

Year	Location	Number of people dead
1952	Sabarimala	68
1978	Thrissur Pooram	8
1984	Thrissur Kandasamkadavu Church festival	20
1987	Thalassery Jagannath Temple	27
1988	Thrissur-Veloor Kootanmooli Temple festival	20
1988	Thripunithra	10
1989	Thrissur Kandasamkadavu Church festival	12
1990	Kollam Malanada Poruvazhi Peruviruthi temple	26
1997	Chiyaram firecracker unit blast	6
1998	Palakkad Kanjikode cracker unit explosion	13
1999	Palakkad-Alur Chamundikavu	8
2006	Thrissur Pooram	7
2013	Palakkad Panniyamkurshi	6

Around 160 have been killed in 54 other incidents.