A building at the temple then collapsed, causing many of the fatalities. More than 200 are injured.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is travelling to the scene.
He tweeted that the accident in Paravur was "heart-rending and shocking beyond words".
Many of the injured are in critical condition and are being treated at the government medical college in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital.
Kerala police chief TP Senkumar said that many of the dead were charred beyond recognition and would have to be identified by DNA tests.
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