Three cars carrying explosives were found abandoned on Monday from a spot about 25 kms from the Puttingal temple where a firework accident killed 108 people the previous day.
The cars were parked outside the Sarkara Devi temple in nearby Chirayinkil, about 30 kms from capital Thiruvananthapuram. Senior officials said they were being taken to the same temple where the tragedy took place early on Sunday morning.
Police, bomb disposal squads and senior government officials rushed to the spot. Sources said the explosives can be be defused only on Tuesday and that officials were getting a magisterial order for that. No arrests have been made so far in connection with this.
Since live explosives are unstable after 48 hours, police have asked people living in nearby houses to move out.
Earlier, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages about 1,255 temples in the state, on Monday said it was not for a complete ban on such displays.
Prayar Goapalakrishnan, President of TDB, said the board was against banning the pyrotechnics during temple festivals as they are part of rituals.
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