This story is from February 24, 2021

Karnataka: Six killed in blast while hiding explosives in Chikkaballapur forest

Six men were killed while transporting explosives in a forest near Hirenagavalli village of Chikkaballapur taluk, 80km from Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
Karnataka: Six killed in blast while hiding explosives in Chikkaballapur forest
The men were suspected to be ferrying explosives from a quarry and crusher unit fearing police raids and were stashing them away when the blast took place
BENGALURU: Six men were killed while transporting explosives in a forest near Hirenagavalli village of Chikkaballapur taluk, 80km from Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
The men were suspected to be ferrying explosives from a quarry and crusher unit fearing police raids and were stashing them away when the blast took place.
Police said the deceased, in their late 20s — engineer Uma Mahesh, computer operator Gangadhar, weigher Murali, security guards Ramu, Mahaboob Singh Bora and accountant Abhi Naik — were employees of Sri Sai Shiradi Aggregate Quarry near Hirenagavalli village.

On January 21, six men died while ferrying quarry explosives in Shivamogga.
Locals rushed to the spot
The driver of the mini goods truck, Riyaz, hired for transporting the explosives, was the lone survivor. “I didn’t know they were transporting explosives in the two sacks loaded onto my vehicle. I was told to stop in a jungle. The six men took out the sacks and carried them into the forest. I was closing the luggage compartment door of my vehicle when the explosion occurred,” he told police.
While villagers rushed to the spot on hearing the explosion, the injured Riyaz called up some friends after a while.

Health minister K Sudhakar, who is from the nearby Peresandra village, was among the early visitors at the blast site.
A local resident alleged that the quarry was allowed to operate at the behest of local politicians. Sudhakar’s men countered the allegation, saying members of opposition parties were making baseless charges.
CID to probe case
Terming the blast a tragic incident, home minister Basavaraj Bommai said the case would be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department. “I am shocked by the incident,” the minister added.
On January 21 this year, six workers were killed while transporting quarry explosives in Shivamogga district. Though police arrested nine persons, including quarry owners, no action has been initiated against government officials who had turned a blind eye to illegalities by the quarry.
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