Death toll in cylinder blast near Mysuru palace rises to two

A 43-year-old woman from Nanjangud, near here, who was among those who suffered critical injuries in the helium cylinder blast outside Mysuru Palace premises on Thursday night, succumbed to injuries on Friday, taking the death toll in the incident to two.

The balloon seller, Saleem, 40, a native of Uttar Pradesh, who was a seasonal livelihood-seeker in Mysuru, died in the blast on Thursday.

While Manjula, who had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in K.R. Hospital, died, the other critically injured woman Lakshmi from Bengaluru is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Minister in-charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa visited the injured at K.R. Hospital and assured them and their relatives that the government will bear the expenditure of their medical treatment. The injured also includes a man identified as Kotresh Beerappa, a native of Ranebennur, undergoing treatment at K.R. Hospital.

Mr. Mahadevappa described the “accident” as an “unfortunate incident”, but assured that he will direct the authorities to take necessary steps to prevent such mishaps by studying the reasons behind the blast.

To questions, he said the balloon seller, who died in the blast, was himself preparing the gas by using chemicals. “We will conduct a detailed study to prevent such mishaps and protect the people”, he said.

“It is a lesson to us. Precautionary measures will be taken”, he said.

The balloon seller was among the thousands of seasonal livelihood seekers, who visit Mysuru, and engage themselves in different types of petty businesses. The deceased balloon seller was earlier selling ice cream in a push-cart, he said. Two of his family members accompanied him in Mysuru, he said.

NIA seeks information

Mr. Mahadevappa said the National Investigating Agency (NIA) had sought information about the explosion in Mysuru as a matter of “routine”.

To a question, he said the NIA routinely gathers information about such incidents.

However, he said he was not aware about the plans of NIA visiting Mysuru in connection with the incident. He said the explosion in Mysuru was not a “serious” case for the NIA, but did not rule out the possibility of the investigating agency coming to the city in the connection.

MP calls for safety

Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who also visited the K.R. Hospital, emphasised the need to make such tourist and public places safe for the visitors by implementing the zoning regulations for roadside hawkers.

Pointing out that the accidental explosion of the helium cylinder had driven home the “seriousness” of the need to have such zones, Mr. Yaduveer said directions had been issued to the earller Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner, but no action had been taken in the regard. “We will certainly question the MCC Commissioner about the lapse”, he said.

He said there was a need to streamline the unorganised sector of street vendors by earmarking zones that are regularly monitored by the officials.