Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured the Kerala Government and its people all help in the hour of crisis following the temple tragedy, which he described as “unimaginable”.
He visited the accident site and two hospitals to see the injured people. Earlier in the day, before rushing to the tragedy spot in Kollam district, Modi announced Rs2 lakh each to the next kin of the dead and Rs50,000 each to the injured.
The PM took an expert team of doctors, including burn specialists, along with him in the Air Force aircraft to provide medical assistance.
He directed the IAF and the Navy to divert all helicopters in the command for ferrying injured to major hospitals in nearby cities.
Modi reached Thiruvanan-thapuram airport and took Air Force chopper to land at Puttingal Devi Temple area. He reached the accident spot around 4 pm.
Almost all the members of Kerala’s Congress-led UDF Cabinet were in Kollam throughout Sunday and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy chaired an urgent and special Cabinet meeting in Kollam which decided to hold a Crime Branch investigation and a judicial enquiry into the fireworks display tragedy simultaneously.
Modi visited the District Hospital in Kollam where most of those injured in the accident were admitted and the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where the critically injured were being treated.
“This tragedy is very painful. The extent of the tragedy is unimaginable and such dreadful,” Modi told reporters before concluding his brief visit during which he also held a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy, who announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh to kin of each of those killed in fire tragedy, Rs 2 lakh for the seriously injured.
Modi said the tragedy is huge that it is difficult to express it in words as such a large number of people have been injured, with some being beheaded. “This is an hour of crisis and the Central Government is ready to extend all help to the Kerala Government and people of the State,” Modi said.
He said he told the Chief Minister that if he wanted any injured people to be taken to Mumbai or Delhi for specialised treatment, the Central Government will immediately make arrangements for the same. He extended condolences to those who lost their kin and wished speedy recovery to the injured.
Modi’s visit apart, many leaders already campaigning in poll-bound Kerala made a beeline to the tragedy site. Assembly polls in Kerala are scheduled for May 16.
Union Ministers JP Nadda, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and others too reached Kollam and visited the District Hospital in Kollam. BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday morning visited the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. “I am praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. The prayers of the whole country are with them,” Shah said.
Political parties cancelled all their campaign programmes scheduled for the day. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said it was very heartening to see the Prime Minister himself visiting the State.
Rudy said the Centre was ready to provide any assistance the State Government wanted from it in any matter associated with the accident. “The Centre is ready to provide any help. The Prime Minister himself has come here,” he said. Sources said Minister Nadda would camp in Kollam.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi flew down to Kollam on Sunday afternoon and visited the accident site. “I have spoken to the CM and our leaders, our Government is acting decisively and swiftly. The State Government will do whatever is possible. If something needs to be raised in Parliament at Central level we will do that,” he said.
Despite his advanced age of 93, Kerala Assembly’s Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan travelled all the way from Malampuzha in Palakkad district, where he is the left’s candidate for the Assembly election, to the temple in Paravur, where he demanded that the accident be declared as a national tragedy.