By: Udaya KumarSHIVAMOGGA/BENGALURU: Three persons were detained and a high-level probe was ordered into the blast which killed at least six men in Hunasodu village of
Shivamogga district late Thursday night.
While three of the dead are migrant workers from AP, two are from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga, officials said.
CM BS Yediyurappa said stringent action would be taken against the guilty.
He announced Rs 5 lakh as compensation for kin of the deceased.
Home minister Basavaraj Bommai said cops have detained three persons, including the quarry owner and a gelatin stick supplier, and are interrogating them to confirm the kind of explosives used in the quarry and their shipment.
Probe to focus on explosive shipmentining and geology minister Mur- Mgesh Nirani after inspecting the blast site said five bodies have been recovered. He said it’s not clear if the explosive substance found at the site was gelatin or some other material but added that a large quantity of explosive was shipped to the site. “Minerals are mined illegally in the state and we’re verifying if the stone quarry was operating illegally,” he said, adding that the probe will focus on shipment of explosives to the site.
Authorities are piecing together evidence to figure out what led to the explosion of the parked truck loaded with explosives. Locals said it happened when the consignment was being unloaded from the truck. The blast caused damage to buildings and civic infrastructure in Shivamogga. Some houses developed cracks and roof tiles and windowpanes shattered. Manoj Rajan, director, Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, said there was no earthquake or tremors in the area.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted the state government is providing all possible assistance to the affected. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also offered condolences to victims’ families.