evidence: Kerala’s love for fireworks is well known, and no festival is complete without the sound and colours of the fireballs that light up the night sky. While fireworks add colour and pomp to festivals, what’s obvious is that the rules regarding the storage and use of explosives are often ignored, exposing people’s lives to recurring accidents. And January to March is the peak festival season in Kerala. Though no official statistics are available, various reports indicate that at least 400 people have lost their lives in Kerala in firecracker-related accidents since 2006.