GCDA’s greed puts Kerala Blasters’ fans’ lives in danger as stadium cafe explosion kills one

An explosion occurred on Thursday in the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium complex, where Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters play their home matches in front of up to 35,000 fans. One person died, and at least four others sustained injuries in the accident that took place at a cafe in the early afternoon when a few customers were inside.

Preliminary reports suggest the explosion was caused by pressure variation in a boiler used to make idli. The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), which owns the stadium, has rented out the entire complex to dozens of shops, including several cafes.

An official with the GCDA quickly pointed out that the accident did not involve a gas cylinder explosion. However, he conceded that several shops in the complex use gas cylinders despite being served notices for safety violation.

It is understood that more than 10 eateries/cafes operate in the stadium complex, and at least half a dozen of them use cooking gas. "The condition we have with the GCDA is that those shops must remain closed on the days when Kerala Blasters play in Kochi," said a source in Kerala Blasters Football Club.

But the gas cylinders remain inside the shops surrounding the ground, right? "Yes, they do," the Blasters source said. According to reports, the shop, I'Deli Cafe, where the explosion occurred, remains closed on matchdays. However, there is no objection to operating eateries using induction cooktops on matchdays, and there are a few such shops that function in the complex.

Now the big question
How safe is the JNI stadium that hosts over 30,000 fans on a good day? 35,000, to be exact, as that is the maximum capacity for which the GCDA has given the Blasters a fitness certificate.

The issue of shops in the stadium complex, especially those with inflammable/explosive content, was first raised in the run-up to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup that India hosted in 2017. The JNI in Kochi was one of the six venues for India's first football mega event.

FIFA flagged at least three major issues with the stadium. The first concerned the cricket pitches in the centre of the ground; the second was the use of the top tier in the gallery, which FIFA found was structurally unsafe; and the third and most important one was regarding the shops that operated in the complex.

After an inspection early in 2017, FIFA Director of Tournaments, Jaime Yarza, came down heavily on the local organisers. He highlighted the 'grave safety concerns' posed by stores with fuel tanks and gas cylinders. A KSEB office that stored barrels of fuel operated there.

FIFA insisted on evicting all occupants for the venue to become a host. After much deliberation, the GCDA had to give in, and the shops and their contents were removed before the World Cup matches were played in Kochi. The KSEB office relocated.

Post-World Cup, two of the three issues flagged by FIFA did not return to the venue. The cricket pitches in the centre, deemed unsafe for footballers, have not been relaid since, and as a result, international cricket matches moved away from Kochi and now take place in Thiruvananthapuram.

The second issue regarding the stadium's top tier is also strictly followed to this day. Fans are not allowed in that part of the gallery during the Blasters matches. Now what about the third and biggest issue, regarding shops with inflammable content? The shops that went away briefly came back to the stadium after the World Cup, including those with gas cylinders. "The shops are what keeps the venue lively," said a GCDA source. In other words, the GCDA makes a decent revenue from operating those shops. But at what cost?