Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed shock and dismay over reports of a blast at a Christian convention centre in Kerala on Sunday morning at a religious gathering. Condemning the incident, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said it’s tragic to see Kerala falling prey to the mentality of killing and destruction. “I urge all religious leaders to united in condemning such barbarism and teaching their followers that violence archives nothing but more violence,” Tharoor tweeted.

One woman was killed and several others were injured as at least three blasts took place at the convention centre where the devotees congregated for the prayer meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the situation is being monitored seriously. Kerala DGP and other senior police officers are on their way to the blast site in Kalamassery. Vijayan said the incident was unfortunate.

People who were present at the convention centre told the media that the first blast occurred in the middle of a prayer. “Subsequently, we heard two more blasts,” an old lady who was inside the centre said. An officer of Kalamassery police said the cause of the blast or whether there was more than one was not confirmed.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George urged government healthcare professionals to report for duty in the wake of the blast. Another person present at the centre said there were over 2,000 people inside the hall when the incident occurred.