MYSURU: A 42-year-old balloon seller died and four persons, mostly tourists, sustained injuries after a jumbo cylinder used to fill balloons with helium exploded in front of the main entry gate to Mysuru Palace around 8.30pm Thursday.Ruling out foul play, police sources said the name and other details of the deceased were not immediately known. One of the injured, identified only as Lakshmi from Bengaluru, is said to be in a critical condition.Among the injured were tourists – Manjula from Nanjangud and Kotresh Gutte from Ranebannur – besides Shalina Shabbir from Kolkata. The injured were rushed to KR Hospital. The severity of the explosion was so high that the sound of the blast was heard even 1km away. Palace was hosting flower, music shows At the time of the incident, the main gate had been closed for visitors, while tourists were milling inside the illuminated royal edifice as Mysuru Palace Board has hosted a flower show and a musical event. Owing to the holiday season, Mysuru is flooded with tourists. Within minutes of the blast, cops rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the hospital, while forensic experts gathered evidence from the spot.
