HUBBALLI: The death toll in the gas explosion incident reported in Hubballi has risen to eight, with another Ayyappa devotee succumbing to injuries on Monday morning at KIMS Hospital, here. The deceased has been identified as 46-year-old Prakash Barkar, a resident of the Unkal area.
The gas explosion occurred on December 23 in Sai Nagar, Unkal, Hubballi, when nine Ayyappa garland holders were resting after performing rituals. Around 1:30 am, a gas leak led to an explosion, injuring all nine devotees. While one devotee, who sustained burns covering less than 40% of his body, is recovering, the other eight, who suffered severe burns, have died one after another over the last five days.
On Thursday, Nijalingappa Bepur (58) and Sanjay Savadatti (17) succumbed to their injuries, followed by Raju Moogeri (16) and Lingaraj Birnoor (21). On Sunday, Shankar Chouhan (30) and Manju Wagmode (17) also passed away. On Monday, the seventh injured devotee, Tejus Satare (26), succumbed to his injuries.
Tragically, Prakash Barkar passed away on Tuesday morning. His son, Vinayak Barkar, remains stable and is currently recovering.
The accident occurred while the devotees were sleeping in a small room where an Ayyappa Sannidhi (temple) had been set up. It is believed that one of the devotees accidentally kicked the burner regulator in his sleep, leading to a gas leak. The explosion was reportedly triggered by a lamp lit in front of the deity. All the injured were promptly rushed to KIMS Hospital following the incident.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each devotee who lost their lives in this tragic incident.