Karnataka: Explosion in moving autorickshaw injures two in Mangaluru, police begin probe

A moving autorickshaw in Karnataka's Mangaluru exploded on Saturday resulting in fire and heavy smoke. The incident left two people, the driver and a passenger, injured after suffering burn injuries. They were rushed to a hospital.

The incident was caught on CCTV. Footage showed a minor explosion. However, the police did not confirm if an ‘explosion’ or ‘blast’ had occurred. 

Police team including Mangaluru police commissioner N Shashi Kumar rushed to the spot of the fire. The CP said that there was 'a fire' in the autorickshaw. He added that there is no need to panic and appealed to people to not spread or pay heed to rumours. Shashi Kumar said people had noticed the fire in the autorickshaw. 

"At around 5 pm today, an auto rickshaw caught fire in the Kankanadi Police Station area. The reason behind the fire was a bag being carried by a passenger riding in the auto. The auto driver and passenger sustained burn injuries and have been admitted to the hospital," he was quoted as saying.

When reporters asked the police officer if it was a blast, he said,”We don't know anything prima facie." He added that he would have shared details with journalists if he had information. 

"We have called the Special team and the FSL (Forensic Science Lab) team to verify the reasons behind the incident. Some people have got injuries. They are being treated for burns,” He said. 

Police Commissioner Kumar asked people not to panic. "There is no need for people to panic. There is no need to create confusion and spread rumours through social media. I will straightaway share the information with you whatever information we get," he said.

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(With inputs from ANI, PTI)