The shop, Bhumika Fireworks, and its godown were stored with huge quantities of firecrackers when they caught fire.
Fire engulfs Bhoomika Traders, firecracker shop and godown in Haveri in Karnataka.
Four people were charred to death and three others, including a woman, were injured when a firecracker shop and godown caught fire in Karnataka’s Haveri district, Fire and Emergency Service Department officers said on Wednesday, 30 August, after fighting the blaze for 15 hours.
The shop, Bhumika Fireworks, and its godown were stored with huge quantities of firecrackers when they caught fire around noon on Tuesday. The establishment was located at Aladakatti village, some two km off the National Highway-48.
The bodies — charred beyond recognition — were found when the rescue personnel sifted through the debris after dousing the fire. The deceased, shop owner Jayanna, Dyamappa Olekar (both aged 45), Ramesh Barki and Shivalinga Akki (both 28) were identified based on the remains of their clothes and ornaments.
“All four have been identified. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) staff have collected samples from the scene,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Haveri Dr Shivakumar Gunare told South First.
Fire engulfs firecracker shop and godown in Haveri. (Supplied)
Of the three injured, two were welders working at the shop. One of them suffered injuries after jumping off the roof to escape the blaze.
Though the exact cause of the blaze was not ascertained, it has been suspected that sparks from the welding machine might have sparked the fire.
District Fire Officer (DFO) Vinayak Hattekar told South First that his men found the bodies after dousing the fire.
“Before our arrival, three persons, including a woman, who suffered injuries were out of the building. Two of them were welders, and one jumped from the roof and sustained injuries. He has been hospitalised,” he said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the families of the deceased men. Former chief minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai sought a thorough probe into the incident. He demanded the government bear the cost of treatment of the injured and announced a compensation of ₹1 lakh each to the bereaved families.
Fire and Emergency Service personnel said the welders were making racks for storing firecrackers when the fire broke out.
Around five fire tenders, one water boozer, and a Mini-Rescue Vehicle (MRV) were immediately pressed into service by 12.20 pm on Tuesday, and the fire was doused by 3 am. The search operations went on till 6 am on Wednesday.
It was earlier said that a few people had gone missing. After the search operations, the fire department confirmed that no one else was trapped. The bodies were taken to the Taluk Hospital for postmortem examination.
A senior officer with the fire department said the shop and godown held a huge stock of firecrackers, to be sold during the upcoming Ganesha Chaturthi and Deepawali festivals. He added that the department was in the process of ascertaining the quantity of crackers stored and if there were any violations.
The sound of firecrackers could be heard around a long distance from the Aladakatti, 28 km from Haveri.
Hundreds of people gathered at the spot watching helplessly. Vehicular traffic movement on the Haveri-Hanagal state highway was briefly affected as the police diverted the vehicles until the fire was brought under control. Additional police force was also deployed in and around the scene.
Assembly Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani visited the village on Wednesday morning.
“I came to know about the fire accident after a person forwarded me mobile-shot videos on WhatsApp. I informed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Haveri district in-charge minister Shivanand Patil who cut short his Mysuru trip on Tuesday night and reached Haveri on Wednesday,” he said.
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