• Incident near Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysore Palace triggers shockwaves
• Deceased was preparing gas on his own: District Minister Dr. Mahadevappa

Mysore/Mysuru: In a shocking incident, one person was killed and six others, including three women and a minor girl, were injured after a portable cylinder used to fill balloons with helium gas exploded near the Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysore Palace last night.

The deceased has been identified as Saleem (40), a balloon vendor from Thopiya village in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh.

He had arrived in the city about a fortnight ago and was staying at a lodge in Lashkar Mohalla along with fellow vendors from his native place. The group was eking out a livelihood by selling balloons at tourist locations, Police said.

Deceased, injured

According to a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Devaraja Police, the injured have been identified as Manjula (38), a flower vendor from Chamalapura Beedhi in Nanjangud; Lakshmi, wife of Rajesh, from Kamakshipalya in Bengaluru; Shehana Sabbir from Kolkata, West Bengal; Kotresh Beerappa Gutter, a KSRTC employee from Ranebennur in Haveri district; his relative Vedashree (15) and others. Two of the injured were treated as outpatients.

Among the injured, the condition of Manjula, who is undergoing treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at K.R. Hospital, is stated to be critical. Her brother Nagendra, speaking to mediapersons, said she had sustained severe injuries.

Ranjitha, the wife of Vinod Kumar and a resident of Belavadi, who was also injured in the blast, is undergoing treatment at JSS Hospital. Her six-year-old son, Nihal suffered swelling on his lips after being hit by the impact of the explosion.

The incident

The incident occurred at around 8.30 pm, when the Palace area was teeming with visitors and tourists. A flower show organised as part of the Winter Festival and a musical night had drawn large crowds, while the Christmas holidays further added to the rush.

Saleem was reportedly selling balloons on the barricaded footpath near the Jayamarthanda Gate on the Bengaluru–Nilgiri Road.

The stretch was heavily congested with vehicular and pedestrian traffic, with the Dasara Exhibition Grounds located opposite the Palace adding to the crowd.

While Saleem was filling gas into balloons, the cylinder exploded, ripping apart his body and killing him on the spot. Dismembered body parts were found strewn within a radius of about 10 feet.

Mangled bicycle

Saleem’s bicycle, which he used to sell balloons, was mangled in the blast. Broken pieces of the cylinder, a bag of balloons, his kerchief and footwear were found scattered at the site, reflecting the intensity of the explosion. Lakshmi and another woman who were passing by bore the brunt of the blast. Two children accompanying Lakshmi narrowly escaped unhurt. Several injured persons were seen lying in pools of blood, with severe injuries, exposing the brutality of the explosion.

The sound of the blast was reportedly heard in nearby localities, prompting panic among residents, some of whom initially suspected a bomb explosion.

Delay in ambulance

Eyewitnesses complained of a delay in the arrival of ambulances. One injured woman was shifted to hospital in a Police Sanjeevini vehicle.

Another critically injured woman was transported in a private ambulance at around 8.54 p.m., which reportedly lacked oxygen support. The body of the deceased was shifted to the mortuary of K.R. Hospital in a ‘108’ ambulance at around 9.15 pm.

Yogesh, a footpath vendor, and autorickshaw drivers Suhaas and Ravikiran, who assisted the Police in rescuing and shifting the injured, recalled the incident in trembling voices. Sniffer dogs, forensic experts and a Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team were pressed into service.

Explosive Act

Based on a complaint lodged by injured Kotresh, the Devaraja Police registered an FIR against the deceased Saleem under Sections 106 (causing death by rash or negligent act), 125(a) and 125(b) (acts endangering life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 9B(1)(b) of the Explosives Act, 1884.

DC G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, DCP (Law and Order) R.N. Bindu Mani, DCP (Crime and Traffic) K.S. Sundar Raj, ACP (Traffic) Shivashankar and other senior officials visited the spot.

HM seeks report

Speaking to mediapersons in Bengaluru this morning, Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar said he had sought a detailed report from the Mysuru City Police regarding the blast.