Indian Church saddened by Kerala temple tragedy, offers help
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Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the pre-dawn fire on Sunday at the Puttingal Devi temple complex in the village of Paravoor, in southern India’s Kerala state, which killed at least 110 people and injured more than 380. The tragedy began when a spark from an illegal fireworks show ignited a separate stash of fireworks being stored illegally on site. “The Catholic Church in India will extend all medical assistance to the more than 350 people injured,” the prelate who is Archbishop of Bombay and president of India’s Latin rite bishops told AsiaNews. He also assured “the injured of his spiritual closeness”. Meanwhile, Church-run hospitals are providing medical assistance to the injured. Father George Rebeiro of Quilon Diocese said around 100 injured people are being treated at the dioc...
Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the pre-dawn fire on Sunday at the Puttingal Devi temple complex in the village of Paravoor, in southern India’s Kerala state, which killed at least 110 people and injured more than 380. The tragedy began when a spark from an illegal fireworks show ignited a separate stash of fireworks being stored illegally on site.
“The Catholic Church in India will extend all medical assistance to the more than 350 people injured,” the prelate who is Archbishop of Bombay and president of India’s Latin rite bishops told AsiaNews. He also assured “the injured of his spiritual closeness”.
Meanwhile, Church-run hospitals are providing medical assistance to the injured. Father George Rebeiro of Quilon Diocese said around 100 injured people are being treated at the diocese-operated Bishop Benziger Hospital and at the Holy Cross Hospital on the town's outskirts. "The church is anguished because this was an avoidable tragedy. The death and suffering came invited by human carelessness," Father Rebeiro said. "There are rules against storing such huge quantities of explosives but unfortunately there seems to be a laxity in enforcing the rules," he said. Over the last five decades Kerala has had over 400 temple-related accidents — both small and large — where more than 400 people have died, reported One India.
Pope Francis also expressed his sadness at the deaths and injury caused by the tragedy. Writing on behalf of the Holy Father, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin sent a message saying, “His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the tragic fire at the Puttingal temple complex in Paravur, and he sends condolences to the relatives of the deceased and injured.” “Praying for all affected by this tragedy, and for the relief efforts underway, Pope Francis invokes upon the nation the divine blessings of strength and peace,” Cardinal Parolin added.
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