BENGALURU: In a major revelation in the investigation into the quarry-related blasts, that killed 14 people in the state over the last one month, it has now emerged that the two quarries where the blasts occurred, received their consignments of gelatin sticks from the same supplier in Telangana.
In January, a blast at a quarry in Hunasodu village on the outskirts of Shivamogga had claimed eight lives. On Monday, a similar blast at Hirenagavali in Chikkaballapur district had claimed six lives.
There was some apprehensions that the gelatin sticks could be defective as both explosions occurred while the material was being transported. But, in both instances, the gelatin sticks were not being transported in secure ‘magazine vans’, but in ordinary trucks.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who spoke exclusively to TNIE, said, “I have asked the forensics department to carefully analyse samples of these gelatin sticks to find if they were defective. In both cases, the quality of explosives itself is suspect.’’
The police have traced the supplier and collected 54,000 samples of explosives and thousands of detonators from his godown to check whether they complied with safety parameters.Revealing another alarming fact, Bommai said, “The number of mines have increased, but not the number of trained explosive handlers. This means that semi-trained or untrained labourers are made to use the explosives, which is a grave mistake.”
The department is also auditing the explosive material stocks at all the 2,000-plus quarries and mines and are finding out if they are complying with all the guidelines. “We will bring out fresh guidelines to deal with explosive material,” he added.
Asked if they are focusing on explosive material supplied by the same manufacturer in other quarries and mines, he said that since there is nothing conclusive, a careful watch is being kept. At many mines and quarries, the banned ammonium nitrate is being used, and officials are monitoring them, he added.
Chikkaballapur blast: 2 more arrested
Chikkaballapur: Two more people, including the owner and the person who allegedly supplied gelatin sticks to a quarry in Hirenagavali in Chikkaballapur district, where six people died in an explosion, have been arrested, taking the total number of arrests to seven.The owner, Nagaraj, was picked up locally, while another person, Ganesh, was arrested from Hosur in Tamil Nadu.On Wednesday, the police had arrested three owners, Raghavendra Reddy, Venkatashiva Reddy and, Madhusudhan, and two others, Praveen and Riyaz.The CID has started its investigation from Wednesday.
Davanagere cops launch drive
Davanagere: Close on the heels of gelatin stick blasts at two quarries in the state, officials in Davangere launched a drive to identify quarries that are using explosive materials. The Department of Mines and Geology, along with police, on Wednesday found an electrical detonator at a stone quarry and defused it. They also booked a case against the owner of the quarry, Kumar Naik.