Kerala fire tragedy: Six Puttingal officials arrested

Kollam (Kerala) April 12 (IANS) Two days after the fireworks tragedy at Puttingal Devi temple in Paravur in Kollam that left 109 people dead and more than 350 injured, police on Tuesday recorded the arrest of six temple officials.

Five officials who surrendered before police late Monday night include P.S. Jayalal (president), Krishnankutty Pillai (secretary), J. Prasad, Somasundaram Pillai and Ravindran Pillai -- all top office bearers of the temple. The sixth official - Surendran Pillai, was arrested on Tuesday morning. 

They are being questioned by the crime branch team led by Deputy Superindent of Police Radhakrishnan Pillai at the Kollam Crime Branch office.

Paravur police had earlier charged around 30 people including the temple committee members, the contractors of the fireworks display and his workers under charges of culpable homicide.

Five workers of the fireworks contractor Surendran are already in the custody of the police team and they have confided to police about the nature of the firework display.

The temple officials, after the tragic incident that occurred around 3.30 a.m. on Sunday, had gone into hiding.

On Sunday, the Kerala government had ordered a judicial probe and a crime branch probe.