‘Our eyes were closed in prayer when explosion occurred’: Kochi blasts witness
At least 2 killed and 36 others injured in the blasts triggered by an IED at a prayer meeting of a Christian group in Kerala’s Kochi on Sunday
The time was 9.30am on Sunday. VK Michael, a man in his 50s, closed his eyes for the opening prayer on the final day of a three-day zonal conference of the Christian group Jehovah’s Witnesses at a convention centre in Kochi, Kerala. Nearly 2,500 others present at the conference also closed their eyes in unison. Barely a minute into the prayer, there was a loud blast inside the hall, he said.
“I was shaken, and I opened my eyes to see fire and smoke in the hall. It took place in the middle of the hall near where the console was placed. I was just five rows behind,” said Michael, dressed in a purple shirt and black cotton pants, recalling the incident outside the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Kalamassery, on the outskirts of Kochi.
“Just two seconds later, there was a second blast and more fire and smoke. Without panicking and creating chaos, we slowly made our way to the exit doors. We are always given specific instructions from the organisers at these meetings on what to do during a fire or explosion. So, we followed their instructions and got out,” he added.
As soon as they got out, Michael packed his family including his wife and two children in an autorickshaw while he waited to take out his private vehicle. With police having secured the premises of the convention centre following the blast, many could not take out their vehicles.
At least two killed, and 36 others injured in the blasts triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) at the prayer meeting, said police.
A man named Dominic Martin, a native of Kochi, surrendered hours after the blast at the Kodakara police station in Thrissur district claiming responsibility for the explosion. A top police officer said that he claimed to be a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and submitted some evidence linking his role to the attack which are being examined.
Outside the convention centre in Kalamassery, there were signs of distress and shock on the faces of attendees. A woman, who did not want to be identified and was accompanied by her family, said she heard at least three successive blasts within seconds during the morning prayer.
“We were seated towards the rear of the hall. When I opened my eyes, there was fire and smoke in the middle of the hall. Everyone was confused as to what really happened. Soon, the smoke engulfed the hall, and it became difficult to breathe, especially for the elderly,” said the middle-aged woman from Kadavanthra.
“We first allowed those who were injured to be escorted out of the hall and then we moved towards the exit doors. I saw a couple of the injured and they were in a bad state with burn injuries,” she added.
Initial visuals inside the hall showed a fire in the middle with thick plumes of smoke rising upwards. Dozens of chairs were strewn around, indicating the panic of the attendees following the blasts.
Kuriachan KM, who came from Angamaly town with his family to attend the three-day meet, sat on the sidewalk waiting to see if the police would permit him to take his car. He made brief calls to extended members of his family to inform them that he was fine.
“Police have completely cordoned off the hall and sealed the gates. It doesn’t look like we can take our vehicles out,” he said.
Describing the meeting, he said, “Every year, we have such regional conferences with prayers, symposiums and talks. This year’s theme was ‘kshama’ or patience. There are trained speakers who talk about different topics. It’s like sitting in a school classroom.”
“I cannot believe something like this could happen at our event. It has never happened before in Kerala. I don’t know why anyone would do such a thing,” he said.