Back-to-back blasts: Karnataka to undertake audit of explosive materials in quarries

Davangere: The Karnataka government will undertake an audit of explosive materials in all the quarries and mines across the state in the backdrop of recent blasts at quarries that left 12 people dead, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Thursday.

The audit will be carried out jointly by the officials of the Home and the Mines department, he told reporters here, two days after six people were killed at a stone quarry site in Chikkaballapur when gelatin sticks exploded accidentally.

The Minister also said the state would crack down on illegal mining and stringent action would be taken if any unauthorised stock of explosives were found during the audit.

‘An audit of explosive materials will be undertaken to find out the amount of explosives stored at quarries and mining centres, Bommai said.

The Home Minister said he would speak to Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Nirani about the audit.

‘There are illegal mines and quarries in the state against which we will launch a crackdown,’ Bommai said.

According to him, till now these mines and quarries were inspected once in three months but now a circular has been issued for a visit once in a fortnight or a month.

Six people were killed when a truckload of explosives went off near a quarry on January 22 on the outskirts of Shivamogga town.

In the latest incident, the victims were allegedly disposing of gelatin sticks clandestinely when the explosion occurred.