Five persons were seriously injured when gelatin sticks planted to make trenches to lay underground drainage pipes near a hospital here suddenly blew up, police said today.
The five were crossing the area when the powerful explosion occurred, they said, adding that three nearby buildings were also badly damaged.
Police said the workers had placed the gelatin sticks at quite a depth under the road in the impression that it would implode and create a trench.
They said the contractor should have used only excavators to dig the trench, but had instead used gelatin sticks. No warning signs had been put up, nor was the area barricaded before using the explosives, they said.
They pointed out that using explosives in mines was different from using them in a public place and added that a case had been against the contractor and he would be arrested soon.
