Kannur: A powerful explosion at a rented house in Kannur’s Kannapuram area early on Saturday killed one person and left another injured, with police pointing to illegal firecracker storage as the likely cause.
The deceased was identified as Muhammed Asham, a resident of Chalad in Kannur city. Police said the house had been rented by Anoop Malik of Alavil, a relative of Asham, who is currently absconding.
The blast, which occurred around 2 a.m., completely destroyed the house and scattered the victim’s remains. A bomb disposal squad and fire personnel later found several unexploded firecrackers at the site, reinforcing suspicions that the premises were being used to manufacture or store explosives illegally.
House owner Govindan told the media that the accused had claimed three people would be staying in the house and that they were operating a spare parts shop in Pariyaram, around 40 km away.
The explosion damaged nearby houses, shattering windows, breaking doors and causing cracks in walls. A case has been registered against Malik under the Explosives Act.
Malik had previously been accused in a similar incident in Kannur’s Podikund in 2016, where a blast at his rented house destroyed 15 houses, damaged 30 others and injured 10 people, including his wife and daughter.
Local residents said the occupants of the house rarely interacted with neighbors and would return late at night, leaving little awareness of their activities.
An investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances of the blast.