Among the 14 deceased, all of whom were aged between 17 and 26 years, the cops were able to ascertain the identity of only 11 people.
Published Oct 08, 2023 | 3:41 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 08, 2023 | 3:45 PM
A total of 16 people were killed in a fire accident at a firecrackers godown in Attibele. (Supplied)
A devastating fire that tore through a firecracker godown-cum-shop in Attibele near Bengaluru, bordering Tamil Nadu, charred to death 14 people, including two teenagers.
The fire that engulfed the storage facility on the evening of Saturday, 7 October, also caused severe burns to six others. Initially, only 10 people were reported dead. However, the toll rose to 14 on Sunday.
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.
Among the 14 deceased, who were aged between 17 and 26 years, the cops were able to ascertain the identity of only 11 people.
The tragedy unfolded in the run-up to the preparations for the upcoming Deepavali festival, with the godown housing firecrackers worth several lakh rupees.
Informed about the blaze, the firefighters rushed to the scene with more than five fire engines to combat the ferocious blaze.
The police have arrested Balaji Traders’ owners V Ramaswamy Reddy and Ravi Reddy.
“Case has been registered under the Explosives Act and various other Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections. The firecracker godown is the property of HSR Layout’s resident Jayamma and her son Anil Reddy. We have arrested Ramaswamy, father of Anil Reddy, and Naveen Reddy, who is severely injured and is in police custody,” said Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Mallikarjun Baladandi.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin have expressed condolences to the deceased in the tragedy near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ ಆನೇಕಲ್ ಸಮೀಪ ಅತ್ತಿಬೆಲೆಯ ಪಟಾಕಿ ಸಂಗ್ರಹ ಮಳಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದ ಅಗ್ನಿ ದುರಂತದಲ್ಲಿ 12 ಮಂದಿ ಮೃತಪಟ್ಟ ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿದು ಅತೀವ ನೋವಾಯಿತು.
ದುರ್ಘಟನೆ ನಡೆದ ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ನಾಳೆ ಭೇಟಿನೀಡಿ, ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ನಡೆಸಲಿದ್ದೇನೆ.
ಮೃತ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರ ಕುಟುಂಬಕ್ಕೆ ನನ್ನ ಸಂತಾಪಗಳು.
– ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @siddaramaiah pic.twitter.com/5aCXpbCU8w— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) October 7, 2023
Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar visited the incident spot on Sunday afternoon.
Both took stock of the situation and the chief minister directed the police to initiate action against the proprietors of the firecrackers shop.
According to Karnataka government officials, all the deceased were students who were working part time at the facility.
The police said firefighters were at the spot conducting a search operation to ascertain if there were more bodies.
Eight of the deceased — Prakash (20), Vettappan (25), Aathikesavan (23), Vijayaraghavan (20), Ilambaruthi (19), Akash (23), Giri (22), and Sachin (22) are residents of the Ammapettai Village in the Harur taluka of the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, three other deceased — Prabakaran (17), Vasantharaj (23), and Appas (23) — were residents of the Kallakuruchi district, also in Tamil Nadu.
The mortal remains of all the deceased have been kept at the Oxford Medical College Hospital in Attibele.
The wounded, including the shop owner, are battling severe burn injuries, with one individual requiring urgent transfer to another hospital for specialised care.
They have been identified as Naveen Reddy, Rajesh, Venkatesh, Sanjay, Chandru, Rajesh, and Paul Kabir. They have been admitted to St Johnson Hospital in Madavala and Oxford Medical College Hospital in Atiibele.
Mallikarjun Baladandi told reporters on Saturday: “Some employees were working inside the shop when the fire started. We have recovered 13 charred bodies from the spot so far. All these bodies have been shifted to hospital.”
“Search operations are still underway to ascertain if more bodies are inside the gutted shop. More than five fire engines were pressed into operations and the fire has been completely dowsed,” added the SP.
He also said: “Preliminary enquiry has revealed that about 12-15 people were working at the shop when the fire started. Experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory team have also visited the spot for examination. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”
He added: “We are gathering information about the exact number of people inside the shop at the time of the incident from the injured and family members of the employees. Efforts are being made to identify the bodies.”
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar visited the site of the tragic incident and also announced ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the deceased on Saturday night.
He told reporters at Attibele on Saturday night: “Officials had informed about the deaths of 13 individuals. The government will provide compensation of up to ₹5 lakh to the families of the deceased. At the tragedy site, 20 people were present. Four are reported missing, and 13 bodies have been identified. The fate of the remaining individuals is yet to be confirmed.”
He added: “The authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Police have advised caution as there may be similar stockpiles of firecrackers in nearby buildings, posing a potential danger.”
Shivakumar also said: “The police are conducting a meticulous investigation into the tragedy. The owners are also injured and are currently admitted to the hospital. Are the regulations for preventing fire hazards being followed? Are there any lapses in safety measures? These aspects are being examined.”
He added: “With Diwali approaching, police officials are being urged to strictly enforce safety regulations related to the storage of firecrackers in shops and godowns to prevent similar incidents from occurring.”
Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai held the local district administration accountable for the incident.
Bommai told reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday: “The lax issuance of licenses and permissions for illegal storage, driven by corruption, led to this catastrophic incident.”
The former chief minister emphasised that taking strict action against the responsible officials is imperative to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He lamented the lax enforcement of regulations governing the management of crackers. “The negligence of officials and the rules were not being diligently followed. The Attibele incident, resulting in the loss of 14 lives is a severe tragedy,” stated Bommai.
Bommai warned of the potential for more such disasters if the government fails to address the systemic issues.
Expressing concern, he highlighted that a similar incident had recently occurred in Haveri, underscoring the urgency of corrective measures.
Bommai called for the government to swiftly provide compensation to the families of the deceased and ensure proper medical treatment for the survivors.
“The fact is that storing such a large quantity of crackers was legally prohibited. This was the second cracker explosion in the past one and a half months, with four casualties in Haveri and 14 in Attibele. These incidents unequivocally indicated a flouting of rules,” he pointed.
In response to these tragedies, Bommai urged the government to launch a comprehensive inquiry into both incidents and take decisive action against the officials found responsible.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, and other leaders extended their condolences on Sunday for the tragic incident at a cracker shop.
Expressing deep sorrow, Stalin issued a statement lamenting the accident that occurred at the border town of Attibelle (pronounced Attipalli in Tamil).
He assigned his cabinet ministers R Sakkarapani and Ma Subramanian to oversee the treatment of the injured and coordinate their transfer to Tamil Nadu, as needed.
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami also expressed grief in a statement, extending sympathies to the victims’ families.
“The state government to take necessary measures for the prompt return of the injured individuals after completing their treatment,” urged Palaniswami.
Other leaders, including Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai and AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, voiced their concern over the tragic incident, highlighting the need for collective efforts to address the aftermath of the accident.
(With PTI inputs)
