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2 killed in suspected cracker blast at New Tharagupet in Bengaluru

Sep 24, 2021 02:42 AM IST

At least 3 people were injured in an explosion near a godown at New Tharagupet area in Chamrajpet near the busy KR Market in Bengaluru on Thursday afternoon

Bengaluru Two people died while 3 others were injured in an explosion near a godown in new Tharagupet area in Chamrajpet near the busy KR Market in Bengaluru on Thursday afternoon.

Charred remains of a vehicles after a blast at New Tharagupet area in Benagaluru on Thursday. At least 2 people died in suspected cracker blast. (PTI)

According to the police and locals, the godown was a transit goods depot and there were around 80 boxes of firecrackers stored inside at that time. The owner of the godown has been arrested as he had no permission to store firecrackers, police said.

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Officials suspect that the blast occurred outside the godown when the workers were unloading the boxes which may have contained crackers.

Harish Pandey, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) on Thursday said that two persons have died, while one was critical and at least two are injured, but are out of danger.

The persons who died have been identified as Manohar (28) from Thiruvanamalai in Tamil Nadu and Aslam Pasha (45) who worked in the adjoining puncture shop, Pandey said.

The police have ruled out any gas cylinder explosion or short circuit which was being suspected earlier.

“It is a box of crackers (that exploded) that either fell or was casually thrown on the ground which caused the blast,” Pandey said, adding that it was a “directional explosion” which meant that the people who were killed were near the boxes or directly in line of its impact.

He added that there were three boxes which were being unloaded and one of them exploded, triggering the other two as well. Pandey also said that there were 78 boxes of crackers inside the shop which remained intact .

The locality where the blast occurred is often bustling with workers, trucks and even children playing around since there is no real demarcation in Bengaluru between residential and commercial spaces.

This particular depot or godown houses a family of four who reside right on top, including two young children, who were not hurt in the incident.

“Our FSL (forensic sciences laboratories) officials have gone there, fire and police have also viisted the spot to determine what caused the incident and how it happened,” Araga Jnanendra, Karnataka minister for home affairs said.

He added that it was a major accident as people were seriously injured and the impact has damaged walls of homes as well as vehicles.

Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan, who visited the spot on Thursday, announced to give ex-gratia of 2 lakh to the families of those who died from his own pocket. He urged the Basavaraj Bommai-led government to also extend monetary help and compensation to those who have died and were injured in the incident.

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