Bengaluru, Oct 8 The Karnataka government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of 13 people who were charred to death after a fire broke out at a firecracker shop-cum-godown in the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Sources, meanwhile, said that the death toll is likely to go up.
The fire tragedy was reported from Attibele in Anekal taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Four persons managed to escape before the fire completely engulfed the building.
The Fire Department officials and emergency services personnel later brought the blaze under the control.
Meanwhile, an official said that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited the site late Saturday.
He announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the 13 persons who were killed in the tragedy.
"It is suspected that a few more persons are trapped. According to preliminary information, most of the labourers who were trapped and killed are from Tamil Nadu. The identities are yet to be ascertained.
"Those who had come to the shop for purchase also feared dead in the fire incident. An investigation will be conducted to find the exact reason behind the incident. As per the information the permission was taken for the godown and not for the shop," Shivakumar said.
Meanwhile, condoling the incident, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he was shocked to learn that 13 labourers were burnt alive in the Anekal cracker shop tragedy.
"May God give peace to their souls. The government should take precautionary measures. It should order appropriate action to ascertain the truth behind it. The action must be taken against the accused and compensation must be provided to the deceased's families," Bommai said.
According to police, the shop is owned by one Naveen.
Bengaluru Rural SP Mallikarjuna Baladandi stated that the fire tragedy had occurred in the Balaji crackers shop while unloading the crackers from the canter.
The fire later spread to the godown and other places.
"The FSL team will make the assessment and we are checking the the license of the cracker shop," the police officer said.
It has been learnt the crackers worth crores of rupees were gutted in the incident.
Three four-wheelers and four bikes were also burnt in the incident.
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