Bikaner fire tragedy: Cracker godown owner arrested as families refuse to take bodies
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Jaipur: The death toll in the Bikaner fire tragedy has gone up to seven. As anger mounted among local residents against administration for allowing a firecracker godown to operate in a densly populated area, the police have arrested the owner, Kailas Vyas, under non-bailable IPC sections.
The arrest was made by Nayapura police. Local residents shouted slogans against the police and district administration for paying no heed to their complaints about the godown in the past. They said that it was being allowed to operate in an area where even fire tenders and ambulances couldn’t reach to rescue people after the explosions on Friday.
The explosions were so intense that several houses adjoining the godown were damaged due to the impact.
An injured being rushed to an ambulance by local residents after explosion and fire at a firecracker godown in Bikaner.
“The death has gone up to 7. Nearly 12 people are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, while several others have been discharged after primary treatment,” a police officer said.
Family members of the victims refused to accept bodies after postmortem examination in protest.
The explosion took place around 11 am in Sohangiri area of Bikaner town. Firecrackers kept exploding for hours and the administration appeared hopeless in containing the situation.
The streets were narrow, making it difficult for the administration to launch an effective rescue operation. Even ambulances couldn’t reach the spot, so injured people and the bodies were wrapped in blankets and transported to ambulances.
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