Hubbali: The death toll from the tragic cylinder explosion at the Sai Nagar Ishwara Temple in Karnataka’s Hubballi has risen to eight as another Ayyappa devotee, Prakash Barakera (41), succumbed to his injuries at KIMS Hospital on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 8.
The latest fatality comes after Tejashwar Satare (26) passed away on Monday evening. On Thursday, Nijalingappa Bepur (58) and Sanjay Savadatti (17) succumbed to their injuries, followed by Raju Moogeri (16) and Lingaraj Birnoor (21). On Sunday, Shankar Chouhan (30) and Manju Wagmode (17) also passed away.
The tragic incident left nine Ayyappa devotees with severe burns, and despite medical efforts, eight have tragically lost their lives. The victims were asleep after performing their evening worship when the gas cylinder exploded, engulfing them in flames. The explosion was reportedly triggered by a lamp lit in front of the deity. All the injured were promptly rushed to KIMS Hospital following the incident.
The family of Prakash Barakera was overcome with grief at the KIMS morgue. His mother said, "I had hoped my son would return alive, but Ayyappa Swamy took him away."
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the explosion, while the families of the victims are being offered support during this difficult time. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the families of the deceased devotees.
