NEW DELHI – More than 70 people were killed in a massive fire that broke out in a temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala early Sunday, a top official said.
Another 200 have been injured after people became trapped by flames in the crowded Paravoor temple in Kollam city during a major festival, said State Home Minister Ramesh Chennitala.
The fire started when a spark during a fireworks display ignited a separate batch of fireworks that had been stored in the temple in preparation for the Hindu new year festival called Vishu this coming Thursday, he said.
The stored fireworks erupted in a big explosion.
The temple was gutted as huge flames engulfed the building within minutes, trapping devotees within the temple, he said.
TV footage showed the injured being carried to an ambulance parked next to debris from the fire, as rescuers used floodlights to search the burned building.
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