MYSURU: An 18-year-old labourer from Bihar, working at a toll plaza on Mangaluru-Bengaluru NH-75, was admitted to the intensive care unit at JSS Hospital after his mobile phone exploded, severely injuring his face, on Wednesday evening.
The phone was being charged when the incident occurred.
The victim has been identified as Sitaram, son of Poornadev and Ranidevi, residents of Bihar.
Poornadev and his son had been working as carpenters for the last four months at a toll plaza being constructed by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) at Kadaballi village in Nagamangala taluk, Mandya district.
Manjunath Engineering Constructions from Hassan district had bagged the contract for the toll plaza construction.
The company had hired 23 labourers — 18 from Bihar and five locals — through a contractor, Gokul, for shuttering work at the plaza. The company had also set up temporary sheds for the workers to live in.
At 6 pm on Wednesday, the labourers returned to their shed after a long day at work. Poornadev said, “Sitaram had switched off his mobile phone and put it to charge before going to work. When he returned, he took the mobile phone and tried to turn it on when it exploded.”
Poornadev said his son’s jaw was completely damaged by the blast.
“Some flesh from his jaw stuck to the ceiling, while a tooth was found in the next room. We were shocked to see blood gushing from his face. With the help of others, we rushed him to BGS Hospital in Nagamangala,” he said, adding that he had later been shifted to JSS Hospital.
Poornadev said Sitaram had bought the mobile phone just two months ago from a shop in Peenya in Bengaluru. Doctors from JSS Hospital said Sitaram is currently on ventilator and he will have to undergo surgery for his jaw soon. Plastic surgery will also be conducted later on.
A Bindiganavile police sub-inspector, however, denied reports of the blast being caused by a mobile phone.
He said it was the mobile charger used by Sitaram that had a loose connection.
When Sitaram tried to tighten the wire with his teeth, electricity passed through and there was a blast, he said.
“As no earthing was done for electric supply, he was severely injured. All the news of a mobile blast is just false,” he added.
Manjunath Engineering Constructions representative Vishnu told Express that all expenses for the treatment will be borne by the company.
No case has been registered at Bindiganavile police station.