In a shocking incident in Gubbi, Tumkur, a 15-year-old student, Monish Gowda, suffered severe injuries when a gelatin stick exploded in his hand. The unfortunate event occurred on Wednesday at the Government High School in Idaguru village, C.S. Pura hobli, where stones were brought for the construction of a compound wall under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
Monish, a 10th-grade student, discovered the gelatin stick, complete with an attached wire, amidst a pile of stones that had been dumped near the school. Driven by curiosity, he picked it up, unaware of its dangerous nature.
As Monish carried the gelatin stick into the school, he began to feel a sensation of heat emanating from it. Reacting quickly, he discarded the object onto the school playground. However, moments later, the gelatin stick detonated, causing severe damage to three fingers of his right hand. Eyewitnesses reported that the explosion’s sound reverberated as far as one kilometre away, startling both students and villagers alike. Monish was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Tumkur for treatment.
Although the school was closed for the Dasara vacation, several 10th-grade students had returned for special classes. Following the incident, school authorities sent all students home for their safety. District Superintendent of Police K.V. Ashok, along with CPI Gopinath and Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Shivaprakash, visited the site to assess the situation and gather information. In the wake of the explosion, a bomb disposal squad was dispatched to the location and successfully defused additional gelatin sticks discovered among the stones.
The victim’s mother has lodged a formal complaint at the C.S. Pura Police Station, prompting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Local villagers expressed deep concern over the event, particularly about what could have happened had Monish taken the gelatin stick inside the school. Many voiced fears that the situation could have escalated into a much larger tragedy.
Residents attributed the incident to the contractor’s negligence, citing a lack of necessary precautionary measures during the transportation and storage of hazardous materials. In light of the incident, villagers have called for accountability, demanding that those responsible provide compensation for Monish’s injuries.
This distressing incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by improper handling of explosive materials. Authorities are urged to take measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future, ensuring the safety of students and the community at large. The investigation will focus on the responsibilities of the contractor and the safety protocols that were ignored, highlighting the need for stringent oversight in construction projects involving potentially dangerous materials.