T’puram: A powerful explosion rocked Kadakkal police station compound in Kollam on Wednesday morning, damaging nearby police quarters and triggering panic among residents.The blast occurred around 11am, with locals reporting a loud noise resembling a bomb explosion. At least eight police quarters in the vicinity sustained damage, with several window panes shattered due to the impact.Preliminary probe suggests that the explosion may have been caused by firecrackers or other explosive materials buried underground within the station compound. Police sources said the materials had been seized earlier but were allegedly not properly dismantled and were instead buried on the premises.Significantly, a few children had been playing near the spot shortly before the explosion and had left minutes earlier, narrowly escaping from harm. A car passing in front of the station also sustained damage, with its front windscreen shattered in the impact. Police team led by Kollam rural SP Vishnu Pradeep reached the spot and conducted an inspection. TNN
