Bengaluru, Oct 21 Two persons were injured in an explosion at an under-construction building here in the wee hours of Wednesday, with a battery blast suspected to have triggered the incident, police said.
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the cause of the explosion was yet to be established and urged people not to speculate before the investigation was completed.
It is still being investigated, he told reporters, adding that the preliminary investigation had just begun and samples needed to be sent to a laboratory for testing.
The explosion occurred around 2.30 am on the fourth floor of a building on Jarmia Road coming under the Pulakeshinagar police station limits, while construction work was underway.
A fire broke out following the explosion, prompting fire personnel to rush to the spot and extinguish the blaze.
The injured, reportedly a security guard from Nepal and a construction worker, were admitted to Bowring Hospital for treatment.
Kharge said one person had lost a finger, while the other had sustained minor injuries.
“There has been a blast, that’s all I can tell you now,” he said, adding that investigators were examining the available evidence.
He cautioned against paying heed to rumours before the findings were established.
Asked whether an explosive device was involved, Kharge said no case had been registered and the authorities have taken the case on their own.
“Whether it was a chemical reaction, whether an IED was involved, or whatever it was, we are investigating. I cannot simply go around repeating whatever someone tells me,” he said.
“The sound was extremely loud. For a moment, I thought Deepavali had arrived,” an eyewitness from a neighbouring building said, adding that the impact of the explosion was felt as vibrations inside his house.
Bengaluru DCP (East division) Vikram Amte visited the spot, while Pulakeshinagar police launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
The bomb squad, Anti-Terrorism Squad and forensic experts also examined the site and the object suspected to have exploded.
Police suspect that a battery-like object may have exploded, but the exact cause is yet to be established.
Investigators are also examining whether the incident has any connection with previous explosions reported in Bengaluru, including those linked to the manufacture of explosive materials.
The incident has drawn particular attention as it occurred during the ongoing Dussehra festive period.
(PTI News)
