Kasaragod: Every morning, Rajan T V (64) wakes up struggling to unclench his stiff, scarred fingers. The deep burns on his hands are healing, but the scarred skin growing back is thick, raised, and inflexible.

He suffered severe burns on his head, face, back, shoulders, arms and hands in the firecracker explosion during the Theyyam festival at the Anjoothambalam Veererkavu Temple in Nileshwar on October 29, 2024. A stranger, who was on vacation from the UK, rushed him to a private hospital in Kanhangad, 12km away, where he was admitted for 15 days. The hospital bandaged him and said he would be fine. 

"Patients with similar injuries treated in Mangaluru and Kannur hospitals underwent plastic surgery," said Rajan, who retired from Union Bank of India three years ago and is running a financial consultancy at Mangattuparamba in Kannur.

Last week, he went to AJ Hospital in Mangaluru, where most of his relatives were treated after the fire accident, which the government classified as a "state disaster" and had promised to bear the treatment costs of the victims. "The doctor at AJ Hospital recommended plastic surgery, which will cost at least Rs 2 lakh," he told Onmanorama.

If Rajan decides to go ahead with the treatment, he will have to pay out of pocket. A district revenue official said the government covered treatment costs for only two months after declaring it a 'state disaster'. Rajan returned home. He is applying coconut oil and a scar-removing gel that costs Rs 690 for 15gm. "I need one tube every week because of the large scar on my back," he said.

Of the 154 people injured in the fire accident, 95 were admitted to various hospitals in Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Mangaluru. Six people succumbed to their burn injuries.

Most of those who survived and were discharged from hospitals are left to fend for themselves for follow-up treatment."Worse, 90% of the injured are still unable to return to work," said Rajan and added that the majority of the injured would not be able to return to work for at least the next six months.

The government has not compensated them, even though the blast happened because the administration failed to enforce safety regulations. After the explosion, Collector Inbasekar Kalimuthu visited the site and told reporters that firecrackers — worth around Rs 30,000 — had been stored in a room less than one metre from the detonation site. As per safety norms, they should have been at least 100 metres apart, he said.

Sanoj K (40), who was leaning against the storeroom when the firecrackers exploded, was admitted to AJ Hospital for about a month and underwent extensive treatment that cost Rs 5.86 lakh. Two months before the accident, he had returned from Kuwait and taken up a job at a home appliance retail chain in Kanhangad. Now, he cannot leave the house due to injuries to his head, arms, abdomen, hips, and legs.

Pushpavalli K V (60) was discharged after 38 days. Her recovery is slow, and she is unlikely to return to her job as an attendant at a college of education in Periya anytime soon.

Vinesh (32), a civil engineer, and his wife Souparnika (28), a homemaker, from Payyannur, were at the festival in Nileshwar. Souparnika’s footwear melted onto her feet. Vinesh suffered injuries to his face and arms and underwent plastic surgery at MIMS, Kannur. Doctors have advised them to avoid sunlight until new skin has grown back. It is unclear how long Vinesh will take to return to work in Kanhangad. The couple is, however, relieved that their 10-year-old daughter escaped unhurt.

Narayanan Palakkunnu (58), who took early retirement from a cooperative bank, underwent plastic surgery on his arms and face, but his skin is yet to heal. "I'm advised to stay out of the sun," he said. "It stings when I step out."

The fire engulfed Narayanan when he lifted a child who had fallen to the ground. As he struggled to remove his burning T-shirt, the flames spread to his head, face, and arms. It took nearly 10 minutes to douse the fire, but by then, he had suffered severe burns — almost losing his eyesight — and injuries to his head and arms. Narayanan lost his denture and the two teeth supporting it. "Last week, I went to the dentist. He said it would cost me around Rs 25,000 to replace all four teeth," he said.
The top district officials said that follow-up treatment costs are not covered beyond two months.

Vijayan P K (64), who runs a fancy store in Kanhangad, said he would not be able to return to work for another three months. "My arms can’t brush against anything, and I can’t clench my hand into a fist. Overnight, my skin stiffens, but after massage and slow exercises, it loosens up enough for me to hold something. If left unattended for a while, though, the stiffness returns," he said.

However, his wife, Sheena V, recovered faster and took over the reins of the shop. Sheena said she had just ordered two pairs of gloves for her husband and herself for Rs 6,000. "It hurts when our hands come in contact with any surface," she said. Sheena suffered burns on the back of her neck and both hands. Her hair also caught fire.

Govt has no money to pay bills, compensation
The 95 people who were admitted to hospitals in the early days ran up bills worth Rs 2.20 crore. Of that, the government cleared only Rs 3.5 lakh. Mangaluru's AJ Hospital, which treated 27 victims — the highest among all hospitals — is still awaiting payment for its Rs 1.57 crore bill.

Though the bills were submitted to the District Collector through the District Medical Officer, they have not been cleared even after three months.

An official said the government used the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to pay Rs 4 lakh each as solatium to the families of the six deceased. But there was money for only four families. Two families are still awaiting their solatium.

For treatment expenses, the government directed the District Collector to tap the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund. But there, too, officials could withdraw only Rs 3.5 lakh. Amid all this, there is no mention of compensation for lost lives, injuries, or livelihoods shattered.