Karnataka: 2 killed in scrapyard explosion in Udupi | Mangaluru News – Times of India

UDUPI: Two persons were killed on the spot and three others injured following an explosion at a scrapyard in Mallar gram panchayat near Kaup in Udupi on Monday morning. The deceased have been identified as Rajab Ali47, and Rajab, 45. One of the injured is critical.
District fire officer Vasanth Kumar HM said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the explosion took place when the workers were dismantling a hydraulic compressor cylinder using a gas cutter. Due to the presence of oil and gas, the cylinder exploded.
Those involved in the work were unaware of the risks it posed and of the techniques to dismantle it, he added.
Four fire tenders including one from the ISPRL were pressed into action. The fire had spread across an area of 10,000 sq feet and due to the presence of houses in the area, there was always the fear of the fire spreading, if not controlled immediately. It took about 90 minutes to douse the fire completely, said Kumar