Only one of all the deceased who lost their lives in the huge dynamite blast at a Railway crusher site in Karnataka's Shivamogga on late Thursday night has been identified. The deceased was believed to be from Andhra Pradesh.
"I talked to HM Karnataka Basavraj Bommai regarding 6 death in Shimoga dynamite blast. Till now only 1 body identified which is from AP. Till now other bodies has not been identified. Very sad incident. RIP," Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi said in a tweet.
Total death toll
The tally of deceased in the incident is not yet confirmed while different sources have reported varying death toll.
Earlier today, Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani, who was allotted the mining ministry a day ago by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa during a major Cabinet rejig, said that there were labourers belonging from Bihar among those killed in the blast.
In a high-level probe ordered by Yediyurappa, it was found that the victims were transporting dynamites meant for mining stones in a truck when the explosion took place. The vehicle was completely destroyed while the bodies of the victims were charred beyond recognition.
Explosion that jolted the region
The mysterious blast that occurred at around 10.20 p.m. last night not only shook Shivamogga district but also sent shockwaves in neighbouring Chikkamagaluru and Davangere districts.
Videos on social media showed window panes of many buildings located nearby the blast site were shattered while houses and even roads developed cracks due to the explosion. Some even mistook the blast for an earthquake, as a result, the state geological department had to issue a statement, ruling out seismic tremors in any of their observatories.
The blast site has been cordoned as of now. An expert team of forensic experts and bomb squads from Bangalore and Mangalore have reached the site for gathering evidence.
Authorities have suspected it to be a case of illegal mining, wherein the two contractors, who have been detained by the police for further questioning, had leased land from its owner for five years but did not have a proper license for carrying on the mining activity.
The police is currently investigating the reason which caused the truck carrying gelatin sticks to blow off, leading to the death of over 10 mining workers.
