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Explosion at under-construction building in Bengaluru, initial probe points to use of IED
Bengaluru Police reportedly launched an investigation into the mystery explosion that left two construction workers injured on Tuesday evening.
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Two construction workers were seriously injured in a mysterious explosion at a building under construction on Jermiah Road in Pulikeshi Nagar of Karnataka's Bengaluru on Tuesday, with Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge saying the materials recovered from the site had been sent for forensic examination.
“We are evaluating that. All the materials have gone for a forensic audit. Once that is done, we will get back to you,” Kharge said when asked about the explosion within the limits of Pulikeshi Nagar police station.
The blast triggered a security response, with personnel from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Internal Security Division (ISD) and the bomb squad inspecting the site. Police are investigating the cause of the explosion and whether it was deliberate.
The workers, identified as Suraj and Allauddin, were taken to Bowring Hospital in Shivajinagar for treatment. Preliminary information indicated that a battery like object inside a bag exploded on the building’s fourth floor.
The owner of the building has been identified as Abdul Rahman.
Mansoor, a witness, said the explosion occurred at around 2 pm. “Suddenly, at around 2 pm, we heard a very loud explosion. When we rushed to see what had happened, two people inside the building were lying in pools of blood,” he said.
Mansoor said one worker had suffered a serious eye injury, while the other had lost a hand.
Suspicion of IED use
Investigators have found strong indications that the device that exploded was an improvised explosive device (IED) or a part of it, a senior police officer said on Wednesday, as forensic experts examine material recovered from the site.
To be sure, the police have not yet publicly established that the explosion was caused by an IED. Two men were injured in the blast.
According to a senior IPS officer, the suspicion of an IED would be confirmed or ruled out by the Science Laboratory (FSL) examination. Investigators have recovered batteries, wires and other material from the site, which are being examined as part of the forensic investigation.
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The two injured men, identified as Allauddin, a worker from Assam, and Suraj, a security guard from Uttar Pradesh, were inside the building when the explosion occurred. Both suffered injuries to their heads and faces and were taken to hospital. One has since been discharged, while the other remains under treatment.
According to Bengaluru police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, one of the injured men told investigators that the blast took place after he had pressed a button on an object. “One of them had pressed a button on a battery operated object, which he believed was a battery torch. However, when he pressed the button, there was a blast,” Singh said.
