A suspicious blast at an under-construction building on Jeremiah Road in Pulakeshinagar, East Bengaluru, injured two men on Tuesday evening, with police awaiting forensic findings to establish whether the incident was caused by a chemical reaction or an improvised explosive device.
The injured men were taken to Bowring Hospital after the blast occurred on the fourth floor of the building, according to the police. Both suffered minor injuries, although one of them lost a finger in the incident.
Police said suspicious items found in a bag at the scene had been sent for forensic examination. According to the preliminary investigation, the bag is believed to have been found by the injured men, who were hurt when they opened it.
Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the cause of the blast had not yet been established and urged people not to believe or circulate rumours while the investigation was under way. “We are yet to ascertain whether the blast was caused by a chemical reaction or whether it was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED),” he said.
Mr. Kharge said the police had launched a suo motu investigation because the incident involved a blast. No complaint had been filed in connection with the incident at the time of his statement.
The incident also places attention on the safety conditions at construction sites, where unfinished structures, stored materials and restricted-access areas can complicate emergency response and evidence collection. The supplied report does not establish what material was inside the bag or how it came to be at the building.
The police and forensic teams are expected to use the examination of the recovered items to determine the nature of the blast. Mr. Kharge said a clearer picture was expected by Wednesday evening after the Forensic Science Laboratory submitted its report.
Until that report is available, authorities have not confirmed whether the blast resulted from a chemical reaction, an explosive device or another cause. The forensic findings and the police investigation will determine the next steps in the case.
