HUBBALLI: Nine Ayyappa devotees suffered serious injuries when a cooking gas cylinder exploded at a temporary structure built to offer prayers behind a temple at Achchavva Colony here early Monday.
Of the injured, the condition of eight is critical and they are being treated in KIMS Hospital. The injured have been identified as Prakash Baraker, Vinayak Baraker, Tejas Reddy, Sanjay Savadatti, Lingaraj Beeranur, Raju Harlapur, Ningappa, Manju Waghmode, and Shankar Chauhan. Prakash and Vinayak are from the same family.
The explosion took place around 1.30am when the devotees were sleeping inside the temporary structure. It is said that one of the devotees accidentally kicked the cylinder, which led to gas leak. As there was a lamp lit inside the structure, the leaking cylinder caught fire and exploded. Residents of the locality rushed the injured devotees to KIMS Hospital.
Union Minister Pralhad
Joshi, MLAs Prasad Abbhayya and Mahesh Tenginkai, DC Divya Prabhu, and Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar visited the injured.