The chemical explosion outside the Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA’s house on Sunday sent local residents panicking.
The residents of Vyalikaval, where MLA Munirathna’s house is situated, were rattled by the loud noise of the explosion and the thick mud flying in the air. They were relieved only when the police rushed to the spot and concluded that it was a chemical explosion.
Subhadra, whose husband Venkatesh died in the explosion, collapsed the moment she saw his body blown to pieces. Venkatesh was a houseboy at the MLA’s resident. The family lives at Dhobi Ghat nearby.
Venkatesh’s elder daughter, Deepa, said his father had left home around 8.30 am but he didn’t say where he was going. “After getting the news, we rushed to the spot and could not believe what had happened. I couldn’t identify my father,” she said.
Mohan Kumar, a relative, said some workers had brought chemicals to the MLA’s house to be used in film shoots and kept them in the office. Venkatesh did not know about the chemicals and brought the can out to open it and check its contents. That’s when the explosion occurred.
The can contained methane, ethane and ketone, chemicals used to make PoP statues and in small blasts during film shoots. “We have not named anyone in the FIR but if the family files a complaint against Munirathna, we will book him and carry out an investigation,” a police officer added.
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