Attibele fire tragedy: Stench, soot and burnt dreams of daily wagers

A few hundred metres from the arch separating Karnataka from Tamil Nadu stands the burnt remains of Shri Balaji Traders, a shop licensed only to “store firecrackers up to 1,000 kg at a time and sell them”. 

On Saturday afternoon, a fire broke out when workers were unloading crackers brought in from Tamil Nadu, killing 14 workers, aged 17-25. 

As rescue workers fought hard to contain the flames, it was found that the shop, which was spread over 2,000 sqft, was turned into an extended makeshift godown and contained huge shipments of fireworks worth at least Rs 50 lakh, as per an official estimation. 

DH found no emergency exits or fire extinguishers, but only a small opening leading to the extended godown. 

The small backdoor, which could accommodate barely a person at a time in the extended godown, proved lucky for some, including a disabled woman rescued by her woman companions who escaped unhurt. 

The visuals were unsettling: the goods truck parked before the store had exploded in the rear; charred vehicles; and cardboard boxes and burst crackers were strewn around in the front and in the shop. Inside, there was nothing but a strong stench of chemicals and soot. 

"Whenever there is a new load of crackers, testing takes place,” said an eyewitness, who works in a wine store across the road. “This led us to initially put off the sudden burst of crackers. A few seconds later, a series of bursts and billowing smoke alerted us of the gravity of the situation.” 

Geetha, who set up new condiments shop four days ago parallel to the burn site, ran away as soon as she heard the explosion. 

Locals say firecrackers brought in from Tamil Nadu's fireworks hub of Sivakasi usually get packed in the now-burnt shop and are shipped to many parts of Bengaluru.

Some from the nearby districts directly approach the outlet for a wholesale price. 

Yogesh, who runs a tea and cigarettes store nearby, said crackers were separated based on their type, packed into boxes, labelled, and sorted in the shop. 

“Nearly a month before Diwali, a slew of stalls selling firecrackers would be set up on the stretch, even across the border,” he said.

Struggle to identify remains 

The bodies were moved to the Oxford Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, a few kilometres from the burn site, where relatives and friends struggled to identify the charred remains. 

A friend of Anthony, one of the deceased, said: “He had completed BBA five years ago. He was the fourth child and worked for daily wages as he couldn’t get a stable job. He was gathering money to buy a bike and worked odd jobs, including the one that took his life.” 

Antony was accompanied to Attibele by two others, who managed to escape. 

Firefighting efforts

The call to the Fire and Emergency Services Department came at 3.33 pm, and a fire tender was immediately dispatched from Electronics City. The extent of the fire was only found once the personnel reached around 4 pm. 

"We were initially told that there was a fire,” Kamal Pant, Director General of Fire and Emergency Services, told DH. “Soon after, fire tenders from Anekal and other places were mobilised. Bigger bowsers were also brought in.” 

The first explosion, which was sudden and ripped the truck off, caused the most damage. “Everything was set on fire, and it began spreading,” Pant said. “There was a lot of inflammable material, including phosphorus and sulphur, and a lack of air circulation.” 

The roof was zinc or tin sheets and began bending due to the heat. “I was there at 8 pm-8.30 pm and the fire was doused fully, and we were able to enter the extended part of the building. The flame was doused but was smouldering and the spread was contained,” Pant said. 

Firefighters continued with the operation to keep the smouldering fire at bay. “The thick smoke would make anyone disoriented, clueless, and overwhelming. I was given to understand that there were over 30 people inside — some ran away, while some were trapped. Even around 9 pm-9.30 pm, the smoke was heavy and thick.” 

The family members of the victims in mourning at Oxford Medical College and Hospital Hosur Road on Sunday.

The deceased

From Ammapet village in Aaroor taluk near Dharmapuri

M Vettappan (25)
C Munivel 
S Ilamparuthi (19)
R Akash (23)
P Athikesavan (17)
T Vijayaraghavan (20)
V Giri (22)

Tiruvannamalai

R Prakash

Kallakurichi

Vasanth Raj (23)
Appas (23)
Prabhakaran (17)

Santosh from Vaniyambadi

Sachin
Anthony