Kundapur fire accident causes Rs 3 crore loss; firecrackers stored next to bookshop

Kundapur:  Firefighting operations following a major fire incident near the Pete Venkataramana Temple in Kundapur town were completed on Tuesday morning. The Fire and Emergency Services personnel worked continuously for 29 hours to bring the blaze under control.

The fire caused extensive damage to Damodar Provision Store, Janardhana Bhat and Sons, and Madhura Electronics. Balaji Provision Store owner Ganesh Naik has filed a complaint, estimating the total loss at around Rs 2.96 crore.

According to officials, the Janardhana Bhat and Sons premises housed a bookshop, and a firecracker storage unit was located adjacent to it. The firecracker licence holder, Ganesh Bhat, had a licence valid until 2029. However, the district deputy commissioner had cancelled the licence on December 16.

Police stated that firecrackers worth Rs 3,08,252 were being stored illegally at the location. A case has been registered in connection with the unauthorised storage, the Superintendent of Police said in a press release.