20-member team led by ADGP Law and Order to probe Kalamassery blast case: Vijayan

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Sunday that a special 20-member team led by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order will be investigating the Kalamassery incident. "A special team led by ADGP Law and Order will be investigating this incident...20 members will be in the investigating team," Vijayan said at a press conference.

The Chief Minister said that an all-party meeting has been called on Monday to have a discussion on the incident. "An all-party meeting has been called for tomorrow," he added. Vijayan said that the incident at Kalamassery is "very unfortunate" in which two people have died, 41 are hospitalised among whom five are in critical condition. "What happened in Kalamassery is very unfortunate. Currently, 41 people are hospitalised, 27 people admitted in Ernakulam Medical College...four people have been discharged. Two people have died, and five are critical," he said.

Vijayan said that the incident threatened the safety of the country with the intention of harming property and lives. The blast took place at 9:30 AM, he said adding that at first some explosive materials blasted following which another blast took place after 10 seconds.

Earlier, the state DGP confirmed that there were two explosions adding that 36 injured persons were undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the district and a thorough investigation into the incident is underway.

"Preliminary investigation suggests that IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) were used to trigger the blasts. We are carrying out further investigations," Kerala DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took stock of the situation in the state during a phone call with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. According to officials, more than 2,000 people were attending the prayer meeting when the blasts took place.