Blast at an explosives manufacturing unit: One arrested

The police have arrested one person in connection with the blast at an explosives manufacturing unit near Kadtyaru, close to Goliangadi.

The arrested is the owner Sayed Bashir.

The incident took place on the farm of Bashir, a resident near Kuchchodi, where a group of nine laborers was involved in the production of explosives. The victims include Swamy (55) and Varghese (68) from Kerala, and Chetan (25) from Araseikere, Hassan.

The remaining workers involved in the production, namely Dinesh Hassan, Kiran Hassan, Kumar Araseikere, Kallesha Chikkamarahalli, Prem Kerala, and Keshav Kerala, fortunately survived the incident.

The explosion caused severe damage, with the blast’s impact felt up to 4 km away, according to the villagers. The body of one of the deceased was found at the site, while the bodies of the other two were dismembered within a hundred meters of the blast.

The Belthangadi fire brigade swiftly responded, extinguishing the flames and transporting one injured individual to the hospital. Unfortunately, the individual succumbed to injuries at the medical facility.

The explosion obliterated the shed. MLA Harish Poonja, DySP Vijaya Prasad, and officers from Venur police station visited the site. SP Rishyant is expected to conduct an official inspection.