With many shops on the MP Road next to SM street (Sweet Meat Street) gutted and seven lives lost, yesterday’s huge fire accident at SM Street known as ‘Mittai Theru’ was a very tragic event.  

We hope that it will be an eye opener to both those who sell fire crackers in the midst of such busy commercial centers dotted with textile shops, stationary shops, etc and also to authorities who permit such business. 

In circumstances where lives may be lost, both authorities and those who actually carry out such activities must be even more vigilant. One recent example of such gross neglect is Thattekad boat tragedy where it ended in calamity. 

Famed Mittai Theru is part of Malabar’s heritage. Any damage to it is sentimental to people from the entire region who frequent these streets for serious shopping. 

According to the latest media reports, Bomb Squad is in the SM Street to checkout on any sabotage possibilities as the cause of this accident is not yet ascertained. However, even the mass storage of these fire cracker shops are said to be located in this busy area always flooded with shoppers. 

This was an accident in waiting and now the authorities are talking about moving all fire cracker shops out of the city. It is always the case that a solution is sought after the lives have been lost. This is because rules and regulations have neither been made nor enforced on the ground effectively. 

Authorities seem to have done their best once the accident was known. Services of the defense establishments have been particularly commendable. Due to the crackers bursting all along, local firemen have found it hard to cope, their ability to contain the fire becoming limited. 

Eye witnesses are said to talk of an explosion at the beginning of the fire which did not quiet resemble fire crackers bursting.  

People’s lives and livelihood has been lost and an inquiry must be conducted immediately and facts found out. Also, steps should be taken so that such incidents never repeat. 

- TP Gopinath writing from Dubai