Haveri: Three people were charred to death and another injured when fire broke out at a cracker warehouse in Haveri on Tuesday. The mishap occurred around 11:30 a.m. at the licensed cracker storage facility located at Aladakatti.
Superintendent of Police, Dr. Shivakumar N Gunare, told Deccan Chronicle that the deceased have been identified as Dyamappa Olekar, Shivalinga Akki, and Ramesh Barik. A victim who sustained injuries has been admitted to a local hospital.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has declared a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.
District in-charge Minister Shivananda Patil is likely to visit the place on Wednesday morning.
The intensity of the blaze caused the stored fireworks to ignite, intensifying local residents' fear.
Swift response teams, including fire tenders and the police force, were dispatched to the scene to manage the situation. Due to the presence of a huge quantity of crackers, dousing the fire was a big challenge for the firefighters.
After a 4-hour-long operation, the fire was eventually brought under control. The cause of the incident remains to be ascertained. Preliminary reports suggest that welding activity in close proximity might triggered the accident.
