A balloon seller and his daughter sustained injuries when a hydrogen cylinder, used to fill gas into balloons, exploded adjacent to a Montessori school in Jayanagar 8th Block on Friday.
The injured Kandala (45) and his daughter, Pichkari (7), were filling balloons outside the school, where a programme was going on. The cylinder exploded with a deafening sound, creating panic among the children, staff members of the school and guests. The window panes of the school were shattered due to the impact of the explosion. Passersby rushed to the scene and immediately shifted a bleeding Kandala and Pichkari to Sanjay Gandhi hospital for treatment. The damage could have been more severe had the blast happened inside the campus, a senior police officer said.
According to the police, the duo who hailed from Rajasthan used to sell balloons in Jayanagar and lived on footpaths. Police said the doctors had informed them that Kandala’s legs may have to be amputated as he had been critically injured. However, his daughter, who was standing nearby suffered minor injuries. A police officer said they were trying to identify if any of their relatives were in the city.
