Suspected crude bomb explosion kills one in Kannur, damages houses

A suspected crude bomb blast at a rented house in Kannapuram, Kannur, killed one and injured several. Police suspect accidental bomb-making. Nearby houses suffered damage, and forensic teams are investigating, highlighting Kerala’s ongoing illegal bomb-related incidents.

Kannur: One person was killed and a few sustained injuries in a massive explosion at a rented residence in Kannur’s Kannapuram early on Saturday morning, the police said.

The explosion, suspected to be caused by a crude bomb, was so powerful that the body was torn apart, and the remains were found scattered at the site.

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According to eyewitnesses, the house was reduced to rubble in the blast. Several houses in its neighbourhood have also been damaged in the blast.

The police suspect that the explosion may have taken place accidentally while a crude bomb was being manufactured. The owner of the house, identified as Keezhara Govindan, had leased it to two persons engaged in running a spare parts shop in Payyannur, around 40 km from Kannur.

The identities of the deceased and the injured have not yet been established, and the number of people present in the house at the time of the crude bomb blast is still unknown.

The impact of the explosion damaged neighbouring houses, cracking walls and dislodging doors. Forensic experts and the bomb disposal squad are on the scene to examine the circumstances and gather evidence.

The crude bomb blast has once again brought attention to the persistent issue of illegal bomb-making in the Kannur district.

The region has a documented history of such occurrences, often with a political subtext. In April 2024, a worker of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist was killed in a similar crude bomb blast in Panur while reportedly assembling explosives.

That same year, a 90-year-old man died in Thalassery after accidentally picking up a steel bomb he found on an uninhabited plot. Such incidents, which frequently result in casualties, including children and innocent bystanders, have been a source of recurring tension and a political blame game between rival political factions in the area.