Teen dies, six injured after firecracker explosion during Ganesha procession near Bengaluru: Report

A festive Ganesha immersion procession turned deadly when firecrackers exploded from a moving forklift, killing a 15-year-old boy near Bengaluru.

Updated on: Aug 30, 2025, 10:18:26 IST

By HT News Desk, Bengaluru

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A festive celebration turned tragic on Friday evening when firecrackers exploded on a moving vehicle during a Ganesha idol immersion procession, resulting in the death of a Class 10 student and injuries to six others, including a police constable.

During a Ganesha procession near Bengaluru, a firecracker explosion on a forklift led to the death of 15-year-old Tanush Rao and injured six, including a police officer. (Parveen Kumar/HT photo/Representative image)

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The victim has been identified as 15-year-old S Tanush Rao from Muttur, Doddaballapur, who was seated close to a box of firecrackers that had been placed behind the driver’s seat of a forklift transporting the idol. The explosion occurred at around 6 pm as the procession made its way toward a nearby lake, The Times of India reported.

According to police, the forklift, driven by a man identified as Muniraju (27), had been in motion for over two hours. The prolonged operation caused heat to build up near the cracker-filled box, which ultimately triggered the explosion. Tanush suffered critical burns and later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

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Others injured in the incident include Ganesh (16), Yogesh (15), Nagaraju (35), Chetan (age not disclosed), and police constable Zakir Hussain. Muniraju also sustained serious injuries, the report stated.

Some of the injured were walking or dancing near the forklift when the explosion occurred, a police official said, as per the report.

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Safety concerns over forklift use in public celebrations

Authorities have raised alarms over the increasing trend of using forklifts during festival processions. While these industrial vehicles are designed for lifting heavy loads in controlled environments like warehouses or factories, they are now being modified to carry large idols during immersions, often performing unsafe stunts to entertain crowds.

Further investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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