Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH File Photo
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested that there were massive safety violations at the firecracker godown in Attibele.
He said that the licence to run Shri Balaji Traders, the firecracker outlet, was given to one Ramaswamy Reddy. He had two licences — one valid until January 28, 2026, and the other till October 31, 2028. The burnt down outlet was run by Ramaswamy’s son, Naveen Reddy.
“They were allowed to keep only 1,000 kg of fireworks at a time and sell them. I think they did not have a licence for storage,” Siddaramaiah said.
While the exact cause was yet to be determined, there were speculations that a low-hanging electric wire or a spark in a UPS unit led to the fire.
“From what I have seen, no safety measures were followed,” Siddaramaiah said.
“No fire extinguishers were there. It is a very congested area. The godown has also been extended beyond the allowed limit — it needs to be checked if proper permissions were given.”
“The deputy commissioner told me that he had received a no-objection certificate from the fire and emergency services department and the police. In my opinion, the deputy commissioner should have paid a personal visit. Those who gave the report should have checked if proper procedures under the Explosives Act were followed, as the licence was issued under it,” Siddaramaiah added.
Victims were students
Most of the deceased, Siddaramaiah said, were students. “They had come to earn some money during the vacations and most of them were from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu. Except for the manager, there were no permanent employees.”
Ramaswamy, his son, and Anil Reddy, who owns the plot, have been arrested, he said, adding that a case has been registered under several charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Two others — Lokesh, the manager, and Jayamma, the building owner — were named in the FIR.
The government announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of each deceased and will also pay for the treatment of the injured.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar promised a plan of action about the storage of firecrackers ahead of Diwali.