Police to inspect all chemical godowns in Bengaluru

Police will check all chemical factories/warehouses in residential areas.

In a circular on Saturday, Bengaluru police chief Kamal Pant instructed the beat police to conduct a survey to identify chemical warehouses operating in their jurisdiction.

All papers to be checked

If any warehouse appears to be illegal, the beat police should check their documents, such as the requisite permissions from the explosive department, the fire and emergency services department and the pollution control board.

They should also check the prescribed safety measures inside these units and submit a report to the police inspector concerned. Senior police officers should notify the department concerned in case any violations are found.

The direction came days after a massive explosion in an illegal chemical factory warehouse located in Hosaguddadahalli, Mysuru Road, killing a worker.

Five buildings, five cars, one Tempo Traveller and two motorbikes were burnt completely.

A warehouse of plastic goods, located next to the chemical godown, was also gutted.

Meanwhile, police have booked warehouse owner Sajjan Raj, his wife Kamala and son Anil Kumar for causing death due to negligence and under relevant sections of the Explosives Substances Act following the death of their worker, Bijay Singh, 30, on Saturday.

Singh was transferring the chemical from one barrel to another using a pipe.

More than 64,000 litres of flammable chemicals went up in fumes while hundreds of barrels exploded one after the other.