Kollam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived Sunday to take stock of the situation in the wake of the fire tragedy at Puttingal Devi Temple near Kollam.
He first went to Thiruvananthapuram from where he came here by a navy helicopter.
At Thiruvananthapuram airport, he was received by Governor Justice (Rtd) P Sathasivam and state BJP leaders, including O Rajagopal who gave him the latest update on the mishap.
Modi later flew into Kollam where he was received by Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and several MPs.
Modi was received by Chandy at the Ashramam ground in Kollam. The prime minister asked Chandy to join him in his vehicle to the temple.
Modi spent about 10 minutes walking around the temple complex, and Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Lok Sabha member N.K. Premachandran were seen explaining to him the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.
From the temple site, Modi and Chandy drove to the Kollam district hospital where around 185 of the injured people are undergoing treatment.
The tragedy occurred around 3.30 a.m. when a spark from a firecracker landed on a building where a large quantity of crackers was stored, setting off explosions and a massive blaze that caused destruction in no time, witnesses said.
Speaking to reporters at the accident site, Chennithala said the prime minister was very particular about the way unclaimed bodies were to be handled.
"He said special care and attention should be taken to see that DNA test is done on such bodies. He also asked about the compensation that the state government will pay. He will also hold a meeting with the chief minister after visiting the injured at the Kollam district hospital," said Chennithala.