FACT CHECK: NO TERROR ANGLE IN KALYAN JEWELLERS BLAST IN KARNATAKA, HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

A video allegedly showing a bomb blast in a Kalyan Jewellers store in Karnataka has been widely shared on social media. In it, a severely injured man is seen being escorted out of the smoke-filled store to a car, as others escape in panic. 

Those sharing this video claimed this was a second blast in Karnataka since the Congress party came into power, the first being the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. 

An X user wrote, "Breaking Alerts. Bharat. There has been an IED blast in the showroom of Kalyan Jewelers in Bellary, Karnataka. Due to the horrific blast, many people are reported to have been seriously injured.It's Islamist Attack?" Its archive can be seen here. 

India Today found that this was not a bomb blast but an accident at a Kalyan Jewellers store in Bellary, Karnataka. 

OUR PROBE

A keyword search led us to the viral clip in a video report by Hindustan Times Kannada, titled "AC blast at Kalyan Jewellers, Bellary." The report also showed policemen, firefighters, and locals standing outside the showroom, with glass shards scattered everywhere.

As per Asisnet News, there was an explosion during the gas refilling process in the central air conditioning system at a Kalyan Jewelers store. Among the injured were Ahmmed Basha, Saiyad Tabrej Basha, Saiyad Juber, Arun, and Ningappa, and they all were admitted to the VIMS Hospital. The report said that no foul play was found.

Reports by Kannada Prabha and Times Now News also corroborate this. 

WHAT DO POLICE SAY?

The Karnataka police issued a clarification regarding this incident on X. The post reads, "The cause was an air conditioner gas explosion, and @BallariSp has already visited, and an investigation is continuing. Don't spread rumors and don't listen to rumours."

 We got in touch with the Bellary's Superintendent of Police Ranjit Kumar Bandaru, who rubbished the claims of a terror link in this incident. "Air conditioning repair work was going on in the store. Technicians were refilling gas in it. Suddenly, the cylinder being used to refill gas exploded. Five people have been injured in this incident. A case has been registered against the Kalyan Jewelers store and the concerned AC service center," he told India Today.

Thus, it's clear this video does not show a terror attack.

2024-05-04T11:44:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd