Minister for Textiles, Sugarcane Development and Sugar and Haveri district in-charge Shivanand Patil has said that a comprehensive inquiry will be ordered into the fire accident at a cracker warehouse near Haveri, in which the toll has gone up to four.
Speaking to presspersons after visiting the firecracker warehouse in Aladakatti village near Haveri on Wednesday, Mr. Patil said that it was an unfortunate incident and in order to prevent recurrence of such incidents, a uniform regulatory mechanism will be set up.
The Minister said that while four people have been killed in the fire accident, one injured person who is in a semi-conscious state is being shifted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Bengaluru for further treatment. Two others have sustained minor injuries and the government will bear their medical expenses, he said and added that after a comprehensive inquiry, action will be taken against the guilty.
“As per officials of Fire and Emergency Services, storing over 600 kilograms of firecrackers is prohibited. The warehouse should have an easy emergency exit. Prima facie, it appeared that there was no fire safety system in the warehouse. All these issues will be considered during inquiry,” he said.
The Minister said that during preliminary inquiry, it has been found that the gram panchayat gave permission to the cracker warehouse in 2020 and an application has been submitted for renewal.
“Permission should not be given for such warehouses in residential areas. However, it is not clear on what basis the gram panchayat has gave permission and it will be investigated,” he said.
He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has already announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for the kin of the deceased and it will be disbursed soon.
The Minister then visited the mortuary in the district hospital in Haveri and consoled the family members of those killed in the fire accident.
He was accompanied by Speaker Rudrappa Lamani, Chief Whip of Congress in the Legislative Council Saleem Ahmed, Member of Legislative Assembly Basvaraj Shivannavar and senior officials.
Toll up to four
The toll in the fire accident rose to four with the rescue personnel recovering the charred body of another worker on Tuesday night.
He was identified as Jayanna, also a resident of Katenahalli village in Haveri district. Fire and Emergency Services personnel earlier recovered three charred bodies.
