Kollam: A massive fire swept through a temple in southern Kerala state on Sunday, killing nearly 100 people and injuring more than 200 who had gathered for a fireworks display.
Thousands of devotees had packed into the Puttingal Devi temple in the coastal district of Kollam.
The fireworks display began at midnight and went on for hours.
The fire started when one of the crackers fell onto a shed where the fireworks were stored, said residents near the temple site, about 70 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew to Kollam with a team of doctors to help state authorities cope with the large number of injured people, moving swiftly to pre-empt criticism over lack of public safety.
Watch PM Modi make an on-the-spot assessment of fire tragedy: (Courtesy - ANI).
#WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes an on-the-spot assessment of fire tragedy at Puttingal temple in #Kollam.https://t.co/aPKCCJhhyk
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 10, 2016
(With Agency inputs)
