A suspicious blast at an under-construction building on Jeremiah Road in Bengaluru’s Pulakeshinagar injured two men on Tuesday evening, with police sending items recovered from the site for forensic examination to determine whether the incident involved a chemical reaction or an improvised explosive device.
The blast occurred on the fourth floor of the building in East Bengaluru. The two injured men suffered minor injuries and were taken to Bowring Hospital for treatment. One of them lost a finger in the incident, according to the preliminary information reported by the police.
Investigators found suspicious items in a bag at the spot. The bag is believed to have been found by the injured men, who were hurt when they opened it. The items have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination.
Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the cause of the blast had not yet been established and urged people not to believe rumours about the incident. He said authorities were examining whether the blast resulted from a chemical reaction or an IED.
“We are yet to ascertain whether the blast was caused by a chemical reaction or whether it was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED),” Mr. Kharge said. He added that the incident would be investigated suo motu because it involved a blast, even though no complaint had been filed.
The incident places attention on the safety and security conditions at active construction sites, where workers and other people may encounter materials or objects whose nature is not immediately known. In this case, the available preliminary account does not establish what was inside the bag or how the blast was triggered.
Police and forensic teams are expected to use the laboratory examination to establish the nature of the material and the sequence of events. The Home Minister said a clearer picture was expected by Wednesday evening after the FSL report was received.
The investigation remains focused on identifying the material involved and determining whether the blast was accidental or linked to an explosive device. Authorities have not announced a final cause.
