The latest victim was badly hurt in the tragedy and was undergoing treatment in a private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Published Oct 12, 2023 | 7:23 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 12, 2023 | 7:23 PM
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah bans crackers in political events, processions, marriages, and festivals. (Supplied)
The death toll in the massive fire in a cracker godown-cum-shop at the border town of Attibele in Bengaluru has risen to 16, with a 23-year-old succumbing to his burn injuries, police sources said, on Thursday, 12 October.
The victim, who has been identified as Venkatesh, hailed from the city and had gone to purchase crackers when the fire mishap occurred last Saturday.
He was badly hurt in the tragedy and was undergoing treatment in a private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
On Wednesday, another victim — a Tamil Nadu youth — breathed his last.
In the wake of the tragic incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced a series of stringent measures to address lapses in the handling of explosive materials, ultimately leading to the suspension of key officers.
Notably, the government also banned the bursting of crackers during political events, processions, marriages, and religious occasions, like Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
The prohibition is apparently aimed at preventing further mishaps and ensuring the safety of citizens, aligning with recent directives from the Supreme Court regarding the production and sale of green crackers.
The Chief Minister emphasised the need for strict adherence to explosive regulations and underscored the importance of the annual renewal of licences.
These decisions were taken during the meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar after 15 employees — most of them students working part-time — were killed in a blaze at a firecracker godown on 7 October.
The Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments announced ₹5 lakh and ₹3 lakh ex-gratia, respectively, for the kin of the deceased.
In response to directives from the Chief Minister, the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Praveen Madhukar launched a comprehensive investigation into the fire mishap.
Under the supervision of the IGP, a CID team conducted a thorough examination of the incident site on Tuesday, meticulously inspecting the godown that had been reduced to ashes.
The CID investigators collaborated with Bengaluru Rural SP Mallikarjun Baldandi, the forensic team, and firefighters to gather detailed information crucial to the investigation.
The case has been officially transferred to the CID and an FIR has been registered at the Attibele Police Station.
Taking swift action, cops arrested V Ramaswamy Reddy, the individual who secured the licence to store firecrackers at his commercial complex, along with his sons Naveen Reddy and Anil Reddy.
According to the police, the victims were employed at Balaji Traders and found themselves caught up in the inferno as they laboured to unload firecracker cartons from a transport vehicle, at around 3:30 pm on Saturday.
(With PTI inputs)
