<p>A powerful blast reportedly caused by gelatin sticks at a stone crusher on the outskirts of Shivamogga left at least six labourers dead besides damaging several homes in Shivamogga City and rural areas late Thursday night.</p>.<p>The loud blast that occurred around 10.30 pm, resulted in mild tremors in parts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada and Davangere while causing considerable amage to buildings and civic infrastructure in Shivamogga.</p>.<p>Sources in the Shivamogga district administration confirmed to <span class="italic">DH</span> about a high-intensity blast from dynamite sticks being brought in a truck to a quarry on the city’s outskirts.</p>.<p>Sources at Hunasodu village where the powerful blast occurred, said more than 50 dynamite and gelatin sticks were being carried in a truck.</p>.<p>Due to the explosion, the adjoining villages of Hunasodu were engulfed in thick, nauseating smoke.</p>.<p>“The intensity of the blast was such that the entire truck was blown to pieces killing six labourers on the spot while injuring others. The road leading to Abbalagere developed major cracks,” said an official from Shivamogga district administration.</p>.<p>The mild tremors resulted in elongated cracks along the roads and minor cracks in buildings besides damaging glass panes of buildings in Shivamogga and adjoining regions. K B Ashok Naik, MLA from Shivamogga, said that loud blasts were reportedly heard at the Railways crusher facility near Hunasawadi.</p>.<p>“I have been told by the local party workers and police that at least five people have died and the entire area is engulfed in a cloud of thick nauseating smoke. No official has been able to reach the spot due to the intense smoke. However, locals have been able to retrieve the bodies of five labourers from the blast site,” he said. The workers were said to be from Bihar and working at a quarry.</p>.<p>Following the tremors, people rushed out of their houses in panic.</p>.<p>Jagadish, a scientist (Seismology) at the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Cell (KSNDMC) told DH that these were ‘Shallow Depth Tremors’ induced by local surface blasts of high intensity.</p>.<p>“Our observatories at Linganamakki, Mangaluru and Brahmavar (Udupi) have not recorded any earthquake. Usually, quake tremors are recorded from the depth of 15 to 20 km from the top layer of the earth. The tremors that have been reported now may have triggered at the depth of one kilometre to 5 kilometres and hence the devices could not capture it,” Jagadish explained.</p>
<p>A powerful blast reportedly caused by gelatin sticks at a stone crusher on the outskirts of Shivamogga left at least six labourers dead besides damaging several homes in Shivamogga City and rural areas late Thursday night.</p>.<p>The loud blast that occurred around 10.30 pm, resulted in mild tremors in parts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada and Davangere while causing considerable amage to buildings and civic infrastructure in Shivamogga.</p>.<p>Sources in the Shivamogga district administration confirmed to <span class="italic">DH</span> about a high-intensity blast from dynamite sticks being brought in a truck to a quarry on the city’s outskirts.</p>.<p>Sources at Hunasodu village where the powerful blast occurred, said more than 50 dynamite and gelatin sticks were being carried in a truck.</p>.<p>Due to the explosion, the adjoining villages of Hunasodu were engulfed in thick, nauseating smoke.</p>.<p>“The intensity of the blast was such that the entire truck was blown to pieces killing six labourers on the spot while injuring others. The road leading to Abbalagere developed major cracks,” said an official from Shivamogga district administration.</p>.<p>The mild tremors resulted in elongated cracks along the roads and minor cracks in buildings besides damaging glass panes of buildings in Shivamogga and adjoining regions. K B Ashok Naik, MLA from Shivamogga, said that loud blasts were reportedly heard at the Railways crusher facility near Hunasawadi.</p>.<p>“I have been told by the local party workers and police that at least five people have died and the entire area is engulfed in a cloud of thick nauseating smoke. No official has been able to reach the spot due to the intense smoke. However, locals have been able to retrieve the bodies of five labourers from the blast site,” he said. The workers were said to be from Bihar and working at a quarry.</p>.<p>Following the tremors, people rushed out of their houses in panic.</p>.<p>Jagadish, a scientist (Seismology) at the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Cell (KSNDMC) told DH that these were ‘Shallow Depth Tremors’ induced by local surface blasts of high intensity.</p>.<p>“Our observatories at Linganamakki, Mangaluru and Brahmavar (Udupi) have not recorded any earthquake. Usually, quake tremors are recorded from the depth of 15 to 20 km from the top layer of the earth. The tremors that have been reported now may have triggered at the depth of one kilometre to 5 kilometres and hence the devices could not capture it,” Jagadish explained.</p>
