The burning firecracker godown in Attibele
Credit: Special Arrangement
Police have arrested three people, including the licensee, after a deadly blaze at a firecracker godown in southern Bengaluru on Saturday killed 14 people, officials said.
Besides V Ramaswamy Reddy, the licensee, police have arrested Anil Reddy, the owner of the land where the godown was built at Attibele, Hosur Road.
Ramaswamy Reddy's son, Naveen Reddy, who has been hospitalised after suffering between 17 per cent and 40 per cent burns, is the third arrested suspect. He will be taken into police custody once he recovers. He is currently in the ICU of St John's Hospital.
Authorities have also identified at least nine of the deceased victims. All were from Ammapettai village, Harur taluk, Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. They are: Bhimrao, Vedian, Adhikesavan, Vijay Raghavan, Elambarathi, Padiru, Akasha, Giri, and Sachin
Authorities have also identified seven injured people, three of whom are undergoing treatment in the ICU in a Bengaluru hospital.
Two other injured victims, Rajesh, a worker, and Venkatesh, a customer, are also in St John's Hospital. Doctors have ruled that they have suffered between 17 per cent and 30 per cent of burns.
Four other people have been admitted to the Oxford Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre in Attibele. They have been identified as Sanjay, Chandru, Rajesh, and Paul Kabir.
Attibele police station have registered a case under sections 337 (causing hurt by endangering the life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous injuries to another person by endangering their life or personal safety), and 304 (punishment for culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code along with section 9 (b) of the Explosives Rules Act.
Another injured person who has been admitted to the Mahabodhi burns ward at Victoria Hospital has been identified as Dinesh, around 20 years of age.
“He has suffered 30-35 percent burns to his upper body and limbs but is stable in the ward. He is not in the ICU,” said Dr Ramesha K T, head of the plastic surgery department at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute.
Speaking to DH, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that his team was coordinating with the hospitals and the families of the victims. “Our teams are on the ground helping with the post-mortem and hospital treatments. The government will ensure that all the injured people get the best treatment and care in both the hospitals.”