Judicial commission on the Mundathikode fireworks explosion reports 7,000 kg of explosives where 15 kg was allowed

3 November 2026

The judicial commission appointed to inquire into the fireworks explosion at Mundathikode in Thrissur has submitted its report to the Kerala government. The commission is headed by retired Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair, and the report was handed over at the chamber of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala. Sixteen people died and forty were hurt on 21 April 2026 when a unit making fireworks for the Thiruvambady side of Thrissur Pooram blew up. The commission found that permission had been given to store only 15 kg of explosive material, while those holding the fireworks contract had stocked around 7,000 kg at the site. It identified the extensive use of potassium chlorate, a banned explosive substance, in making the fireworks as the cause of the blast. According to the commission, friction between chemicals in high temperatures started the fire that led to the explosion.