Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday called for modernising the fireworks manufacturing sector in view of the recent blast at Thrissur which claimed 14 lives.

Chandrasekhar, in Facebook and 'X' posts, said the blast at the fireworks manufacturing unit at Mundathicode in Thrissur district was a reminder that the sector needs to be modernised to ensure the safety of workers.

The BJP state chief termed it unacceptable that workers are still becoming victims of such accidents in 2026.

"We are living in 2026. There is no reason for people to be victims of such tragedies. The Mundathikode fireworks accident in Thrissur is a devastating wake-up call to urgently upgrade safety standards and protect the lives of workers in this industry," he said on 'X'.

A day ago, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also stressed the need for modern and scientific methods of fireworks manufacturing to prevent such accidents in the future.

The blast at the fireworks manufacturing unit occurred on April 21 afternoon and around 40 people were suspected to be present at the site when the incident occurred.

The unit was engaged in manufacturing crackers for the Thiruvambady devaswom ahead of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram on April 26.

According to the authorities, at least 14 persons have died and four persons are still missing.

More than 100 body parts have been recovered from the site and preserved for DNA testing following which the number of deaths is likely to go up, authorities said.

On Thursday, it was decided that the Thrissur Pooram celebrations will be scaled down, though rituals will proceed as usual.

Fireworks, a key element of the Pooram, would not be held; instead, only one symbolic round of crackers would be burst, officials said following a meeting convened by the state government and attended by ministers, Union Minister Suresh Gopi, the district collector, and representatives of the Paramekavu and Thiruvambady Devaswoms.