In a tragic incident on Sunday evening, a blast occurred at a firecracker company store in the Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, resulting in the loss of three lives. The victims have been identified as 24-year-old Chethan, along with Vargees (62) and Swamy (60). Currently, the injured are undergoing treatment at the local hospital. The cause of the blast is yet to be determined.
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police, C B Rishyanth, addressed the media on the tragedy, stating, "Three individuals lost their lives, and several others sustained injuries in a blast at a firecracker company in Belthangady of Dakshina Kannada. The deceased have been identified as Vargees, Swamy, and Chethan (24). We are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the blast." Further details on the ongoing probe are awaited.A similar incident occurred in October in Attibele at a cracker go-down, resulting in 17 casualties. This prompted the state government to ban all non-green crackers during Diwali and conduct inspections of cracker shops statewide.