Two persons were charred to death in a fire that broke out in a cluster of firecracker shops in Vijayawada in the early hours of Sunday, police said. Workers were apparently sleeping in one of the three shops that got gutted in the fire, police said.
Three firecracker shops were burnt down fully but quick response by the Fire Services personnel prevented the accident from destroying other shops. People residing in houses in the vicinity were jolted out of their sleep following the explosive sound caused by the fire.
There is a fuel station exactly opposite the ground where the firecracker shops were set up for Deepavali festival but luckily the blaze did not spread, as at least four fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the flames.
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Police and Fire Services personnel were yet to determine the cause of the blaze. Local MLA Malladi Vishnu and city Police Commissioner K R Tata visited the scene to take stock of the situation.
Local residents raised a protest over permitting the firecracker shops to be set up on the ground when a fuel station was located right opposite it. "What would have happened if the sparks flew to the petrol pump?" the fuming residents questioned the authorities.
(With PTI Inputs)
