Thrissur, April 22 -- At least 13 people were killed and several others injured in a blast at a fireworks manufacturing unit at Mundathicode in central Kerala's Thrissur district on Tuesday, officials said. Thirteen injured people are undergoing treatment. Five of them are critical with over 70% burns, authorities at Government Medical College, Thrissur, said. Around 40 people were suspected to have been present in the sheds at the time of the explosion, which occurred at a fireworks unit preparing crackers on behalf of a temple devaswom ahead of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram on April 26. Hospital authorities said 13 bodies were received, including dismembered remains, which are being counted as individual fatalities. A control room was also opened at the state-run medical college. President Droupadi Murmu offered condolences to the families of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the deaths and announced ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased. "Saddened to hear about the loss of lives due to the mishap at a cracker factory in Thrissur, Keralam. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones," a post on Prime Minister's Office (PMO)'s X handle said. The PM also announced an ex-gratia of Rs.2 lakh from Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the kin of each deceased while Rs.50,000 for the injured. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed that all necessary medical assistance be provided and asked officials to ensure coordinated rescue and relief operations. Describing the scene, rescue workers said columns of thick black smoke rose high into the sky from a cluster of temporary sheds erected in the middle of the field where the blast took place. Firefighters and rescue personnel who rushed to the isolated site were forced to stop midway as intermittent explosions continued, they said. "Parts of bodies were lying scattered. We helped gather them and send them to hospitals," said a local resident, who was helping with rescue work....