Bagalkot: Woman loses hands in hair dryer explosion

In a shocking incident, a woman lost both her hands in a hair dryer explosion in Basavanagar, Ilkal in Bagalkot district. The incident occurred on November 15 but came to light recently after a case was registered at the Ilkal police station.

The victim identified as Basavarajeswari Yaranal, is the widow of Papanna Yaranal, an army soldier who lost his life in a 2017 electric short-circuit accident in Jammu and Kashmir.

Currently residing in Ilkal with her children, Basavarajeswari received a parcel addressed to her neighbor, Shashikala, which led to the unfortunate accident.

The parcel, delivered by a courier service, was addressed to Shashikala of Basavanagar, who was unavailable at the time. Upon receiving a call from the courier delivery agent, Shashikala instructed him to hand over the parcel to her neighbor, Basavarajeswari. She also confirmed that she had not ordered any product online and was unaware of its contents.

When Basavarajeswari opened the parcel, she found a hair dryer. At the suggestion of a neighbor, she plugged the device into a switchboard to test it. The dryer exploded upon activation, resulting in severe injuries that left both her hands amputated. She is currently undergoing treatment at Patil Hospital in Ilkal.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the hair dryer was manufactured in Visakhapatnam and shipped to Ilkal via Bagalkot. However, Shashikala had not ordered the product. Police are actively investigating who placed the order, paid for it, and sent it.

Hunangund MLA Vijayand Kashappanavar visited Basavarajeswari at the hospital to inquire about her condition and extend his support.