Four people were injured after an electrical transformer suddenly exploded beside a roadside in Bengaluru, sending debris into the surrounding area and damaging a motorcycle parked nearby. The incident took place around 12:30 pm on Tuesday near the Coca-Cola godown in Benniganahalli.
The injured were identified as Narayana, 50, Azeem Pasha, Chethan, 23, and Lakshmi, 22. They are residents of different parts of Bengaluru and were taken to a private hospital for treatment.
A video of the incident shows pedestrians and vehicles moving near the transformer moments before it suddenly burst. The explosion caught people off guard and scattered material from the electrical equipment across the roadside. A motorcycle parked close to the transformer was also damaged.
Ramamurthy Nagar police have registered a case alleging negligence by officials of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM). Police are investigating what caused the transformer to fail and whether maintenance or operational lapses played a role.
A BESCOM official said representatives of the electricity utility visited the injured people and assured them that their medical expenses would be taken care of. Further technical examination is expected to establish the exact reason behind the transformer failure.
The Bengaluru incident comes amid another electrical equipment explosion reported in the city a day later. On Wednesday morning, a man was injured after a ring main unit (RMU) installed close to the roadside exploded near Bagaluru Cross in the Yelahanka area.
Mohammed Afroz was walking along the footpath at around 9:30 am when the RMU suddenly burst. He was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
A preliminary technical assessment by BESCOM suggested that the second explosion may have involved a flashover in the current transformer inside the RMU. Such an event can occur when an electrical arc develops around the equipment, potentially causing a sudden blast.
Officials said RMUs are commonly used in medium-voltage power distribution networks and that such failures are relatively uncommon. Technical teams are examining the equipment to determine the precise cause.
In the Bagaluru incident, BESCOM officials also suspected that a rat may have entered the RMU box near Amazon's office and caused a short circuit. Officials said the animal was found burnt inside the unit after the explosion.
Police have begun examining both incidents, while technical teams continue to investigate the equipment failures and possible safety lapses.
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