More than 150 people were injured, eight of them seriously, in a fireworks accident during a festival at a temple near Neeleswaram on Monday night, police said.

The injured have been shifted to various hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur and Mangaluru, they said.

The accident occurred at Veerarkavu temple near Neeleswaram.

The district collector reported on Tuesday that 80 per cent of those seriously injured had burns.

“The causes of the accident are being investigated. Samples have been collected at the scene. A file has been opened,” he stated.

He further said that according to preliminary investigation, the storage place of fireworks and the place where crackers were exploded were nearby.

“Safety precautions were not taken. The requirement of maintaining a minimum distance of 100 meters between the two was not met. Permission for the storage of fireworks was also not obtained,” he added.

According to police, the accident is suspected to have occurred when the fireworks warehouse near Veerarkavu temple caught fire.

The accident occurred around midnight, they said.