Visakhapatnam: Two suspects have been arrested in relation to the fishing harbour fire incident. They were Vasupalli Nani alias Donga Kollu alias Banti, s/o Nooka Raju, aged 23 years, and his maternal uncle Allipalli Satyam.
Announcing this, city police commissioner Ravi Shankar said the arrests were based on eyewitness statements, scientific evidence and CCTV footage. “The two voluntarily confessed to having caused the fire,” he claimed.
Thirty boats were burnt in the fire. Nylon nets had increased the intensity of the mishap.
Ravi Shankar said, “The accident happened due to the fall of a cigarette butt on a boat engine. The two suspects were boozing in a boat. They threw away a half-used cigarette onto the next boat’s engine. The engine caught fire due to the nylon net. It being an oil-spill area, the fire spread easily.”
Based on the CC camera footage and preliminary investigations, police say Vasupalli Nani of Changalraopet Bazaar area was present in the mishap spot. He was consuming alcohol in Boat number 887 and his uncle was with him.
However, the police feel the fire was not caused intentionally. “There is no conspiracy angle. Investigations are continuing,” they said.
The November 19 accident created a huge political buzz. The police suspected Nani, a local fisherman-turned-YouTuber. However, Nani made it clear that he was not in the fishing harbour when the fire took place.
