Fire broke out at a cracker godown next to Bommanahalli lake in Hebbal industrial area in Mysuru around 2pm on Wednesday. Crackers worth over Rs 5 crore are burnt. No casualty has been reported.
As many as 84 personnel of department of fire and emergency services (DFES) led by Chief Fire officer of Mysuru, P S Jayaramaiah. extinguished the fire after an operation for over three hours. A total of 14 vehicles of the department including nine from Mysuru city and six from neighboring taluks including TNarsipur, Hunsur, KRNagar and Srirangapatna and others were pressed in for operation, according to officers of DFES.
Mysuru city DCP M Muthuraj told DH, "The godown of 'Jupiter forum cracker stall' owned by Anand is the property that caught fire. The owner had his guest house on the first floor. It is slightly damaged. There was a timber shop nearby and the fire affected it slightly. They had received a fresh stock of crackers on Tuesday. The crackers might have caught fire due to heat or short circuit. The heat from the fire is yet to cool and we have not been able to enter the area to know the exact reason for the fire. Crackers worth at least 5 Crore are burnt. The exact amount of loss is yet to be calculated by the owner. The site and license was issued by KIADB."
A case of accidental fire has been registered in Hebbal Police station.
Meanwhile general secretary of Mysuru Industries Association Suresh Kumar Jain said that, several aquatic species in the Bommanahalli lake are affected due to this. Despite appeal from over 15 years to the authorities concerned, to cancel the license of the cracker godown next to the lake, it had served no purpose.
Atleast now they should cancel the license, he said.