KENDRAPARA: A 45-year-old man who had sustained grievous injuries in the firecracker mishap at Kendrapara’s Balia market on Wednesday succumbed on Friday night.The deceased Udayanath Bhoi of Buhalo village, was a firecracker maker by profession.He was being treated at the SCB medical college and hospital after sustaining severe burn injuries.
“After Bhoi’s death, IPC section 304A (causing death by negligence) was imposed on the accused Arakhit Mallick, Chintu Das and Bharat Mallick were arrested on Friday. Sections 337, 326 and 338 of the IPC were also registered against them,” said IIC of Kendrapara Sadar police Pabitra Moharana.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and former minister Ganeswar Behera blamed police and the administration for the mishap. “The government should take strict action against the officials for their gross negligence of duty as they were unaware of the fireworks competition being held despite the ban. In 2008 around 11 people died from a similar incident in Asureswar market here on the Ram Navami day but the administration did not learn a lesson from that,” Behera said.