At least one person was killed and more than 30 with five seriously injured in a bomb blast on Sunday morning at a convention center in Kalamassery, near Kochi, where a meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses was being held.
According to the police, several explosions were reported at the scene, but the cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed. The injured were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery and private hospitals in the area. The explosions were reported shortly after 9:30 a.m. during a regional meeting of believers. Police suspect that a bomb exploded in the center.
According to witnesses, there were three explosions inside the congress hall around 9:45 am. The explosions occurred seconds after the end of prayers on the day of the incident.
Describing the blast as “unfortunate”, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the situation was being taken seriously and the Kerala DGP and other senior police officers were on their way to the blast site.
“At about 9:40 [04:10 GMT], an explosion occurred at the Zamra International Convention Center in which one person died and 36 are undergoing treatment,” Kerala’s Director General of Police Darvesh Saheb told reporters.
“We will find out who is behind it and take strict action… preliminary investigation shows that it was an IED blast,” he said.
Videos taken shortly after the blast and posted online showed flames inside the building and rescue workers helping people evacuate.
“We are looking into all angles and will find out who is behind it,” Saheb added.
Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order MR Ajith Kumar said during a press conference that a person named Dominic Martin, who claimed responsibility for the blast, had surrendered at a police station in Thrissur district about 65 km (40 km ). miles) north of the incident site.
The suspect “claims to have done it”, saying he “belonged to the same sabha group”, Kumar told reporters, adding that the police were “verifying” the claim.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
The Christian sect of Jehovah’s Witnesses is known for its worldwide practice of door-to-door evangelism. The movement teaches nonviolence and remains politically neutral, with members refusing to vote or serve in the military.
India, with a population of 1.4 billion, has only about 60,000 followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses, supporters say. According to the 2011 census, approximately 28 million Christians live in India.
