Hussainsagar boat fire: Driver succumbs to injuries

Hyderabad: M. Ganapathi, a 22-year-old driver and firecracker operator, on Tuesday succumbed to injuries he sustained in the firecracker explosion during the Bharata Mata Maha Harathi celebration at Hussainsagar on January 26.
Two other boat drivers, Palle Pranith and Dubasi Sunil, are reportedly out of danger and continue to receive treatment.
Initially, the police had registered the incident as a fire accident under FIR No. 9 of 2025. After Ganapathi’s death, in a private hospital, the case was revised to one of death due to negligence.
"Event organiser Vasudeva Reddy, alias Sukumar Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, has been booked under charges of death due to negligence," said Secretariat police sub-inspector M. Hanumanth Rao, the investigation officer.
Ganapathi, a native of East Godavari, worked as a mini-truck driver and firecracker operator. He arrived in Hyderabad on January 26 after being hired by the organiser to deliver firecrackers and other materials for the event.
He was aboard the ill-fated boat when it caught fire, suffering burns on over 95 per cent of his body. Despite the doctors’ efforts, he succumbed to his injuries at 10.05 am.