Mysuru, 15 Feb

Two labourers from Bihar were killed when a chemical tank exploded at a factory in Mandya on Sunday, while four others were critically injured.

The incident occurred near Karekatte in the Basaralu region in Mandya, when the labourers were shifting the chemical tank because the factory, owned by Keerthi Chemical Industries, was being relocated due to safety concerns.

The workers were dismantling the machinery and in the process of shifting it when the incident occurred at around 10am. They had been dismantling the plant for about a month.

The bodies of the deceased - Kaluhakhan, 27, and Ashok, 26 – were reduced to pieces due to the impact of the explosion. The injured - Khasim, Ravi, Mahantesh and Rajeev Kumar - were shifted to Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) and undergoing treatment there.

“Cutting and fitting were in progress at the time,” Kumar told ANI. He said the contractor, Guddu Khan, was not present at the scene.

EARLIER SAFETY LAPSES

Nearly four years ago, in 2022, there was a poisonous gas leak at the factory, affecting villages surrounding Karekatte. No human casualties were reported, but two dogs died. It affected standing crops across 100 acres of land.

Following strong opposition from farmers and locals, and the intervention of local MLA and district administration, the Keerthi Chemical Industries operations came to a halt. The owners had therefore decided to shift the plant.