Karnataka: Widow Of Army Man Loses Both Forearms In Hair Dryer Explosion

Basamma, the wife of ex-army personnel Papanna Yaranal, was operating the hair dryer when the explosion occurred.

Upon Shashikala's instructions, Basamma unwrapped the package at home, discovering a hair dryer inside. (Image for representation)

Source : Pixabay

In Ilkal town of Bagalkot district, a woman lost both her forearms after a hair dryer exploded in her hands. The victim, identified as 37-year-old Basamma Yaranal, suffered severe injuries when the device she was testing the device on Wednesday.

Basamma, the wife of ex-army personnel Papanna Yaranal (who passed away in 2017 due to an electrical accident in Jammu & Kashmir), was operating the hair dryer when the explosion occurred. The impact was so intense that her fingers were shattered, and her forearms were severed, as per a report on India Today.

The device had been couriered to her neighbour, Shashikala. As Shashikala was out of town, she requested Basamma to collect the parcel on her behalf. Upon Shashikala's instructions, Basamma unwrapped the package at home, discovering a hair dryer inside. When she plugged it into the power socket, it exploded instantly.

Preliminary investigations suggest the explosion was caused by an electrical short circuit, as per a report on Times of India. According to officials, the hair dryer required a 2-watt electrical connection, which was unavailable, leading to the disaster.

Basamma's brother-in-law, Shivangowda Yarnal, recounted the sequence of events, stating that the courier delivery had been arranged in Shashikala's name, but Basamma received and tested the package, as per the report. The device was reportedly shipped from Bagalkot, and authorities are investigating the origin of the order.

The police have identified the manufacturer as a firm based in Visakhapatnam. Though Shashikala said that she did not order the product online, SP suspects that the product was delivered after an online order. 

Basamma is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ilkal. A case has been registered at the Ilkal Police Station, and further investigations are underway to determine liability and prevent such incidents in the future.