Deepavali: Cracker explodes inside house, four hurt

Deepavali celebrations turned disastrous for a 45-year-old HAL driver after a cracker exploded in his house injuring four members of his family, including an elderly woman, in VSS colony, Panathur.

According to the police, on November 7 at around 8.15 pm a crude cracker fell on the asbestos roof sheet of the house. Before Venkatesh, the driver, could realise what was happening, the roof tore open and fell on the furniture. Within seconds, fire engulfed the furniture.

Venkatesh, his mother Rajamma (66), son Mohith Gowda (13), and nephew Kishore Kumar (17) sustained burn injuries while trying to put out the fire and were rushed to a private hospital.

The neighbours helped to put off the fire.

The Marathahalli police summoned a bomb disposal squad, which examined the explosive substances. The police handed over the substances to forensic science laboratory experts for analysis.

Prima facie, it looks like a crude explosive prepared by someone using crackers, a senior police officer said.

The police have also registered an FIR against unknown persons charging them under various sections of Explosive Substances Act.