Thiruvananthapuram, April 23 -- The Kerala government on Wednesday ordered an inquiry by a judicial commission to determine the causes for the explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Thrissur district's Mundathikode that killed at least nine people on Tuesday.

A release from the chief minister's office stated that a one-man judicial commission under retired High Court judge CN Ramachandran Nair would investigate the reasons behind the blast and submit a report to the government.

A special cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan designated the incident as a "state-specific disaster" and declared ex-gratia relief of Rs.14 lakh each for the families of the deceased- including Rs.4 lakh from the State Disaster Reli...