2 injured after autorickshaw explodes in Karnataka's Mangaluru; Security beefed up

Mangaluru, Nov 19: An autorickshaw exploded after it came to a stop on a busy road at Nagori in coastal Karnataka's Mangaluru today. The entire incident was caught on nearest CCTV camera.

As per the CCTV footage, the autorickshaw exploded while it was seen crossing a public bus. According to reports, driver and the passenger inside the vehicle have suffered burn injuries and are undergoing treatment in a nearby hospital.

Speaking about the incident to english local daily, Police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, "The autorickshaw was going towards Pumpwell from Nagori when the incident happened. The passenger boarded the auto at Nagori. Something from the passenger's bag led to the fire mishap."

Kumar said there was 'a fire' in the autorickshaw and there is no need for panic. He appealed against spreading rumours. He also said that fire was noticed by people in the autorickshaw and the passenger and driver were among those who sustained injuries and they were rushed to a hospital.

"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," the police commissioner said.

On the condition of the injured, the police commissioner said he has not spoken to hospital authorities. Kumar said the autorickshaw driver was undergoing treatment and he could comment only after talking to him. The police commissioner appealed to people to not 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.

Following the incident, security has been beefed up. The security agencies will also probe if there was a terror angle or not.

As per reports, a cooker along with several plastic bags were found inside the autorickshaw when it exploded.

People present at the incident site reported spotting a fire moments before the blast took place. Reportedly, the autorickshaw driver also noticed a spark but failed to respond in time.