One researcher killed, 3 injured due to an explosion in IISc lab

BENGALURU: A researcher feared death and three others sustained burns in an explosion in a laboratory at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) here on Wednesday. The blast occurred around 2.30pm when 32-year-old Manoj Kumar, who died in the blast, and his colleagues were indulged on an experiment at the Laboratory for Hypersonic and Shock Wave Research in IISc.

Police said the injured researchers — Atulya Kumar, Naresh Kumar and Karthik — have been hospitalised. “Their condition is critical,” a police officer said.The four were employees of Super-Wave Technology, an IISc-incubated startup headed by senior scientists at the department of aerospace engineering, IISc.

Introductory investigation by police and forensic experts ruled out sabotage. Investigators, who suspect a leak in a hydrogen cylinder caused the explosion, described the impact as “strong”. “It completely damaged equipment in the laboratory,” the officer said.

IISc chief security officer MR Chandrashekar said Wednesday’s explosion was freakish. “This is the first time in the history of IISc that an explosion of such magnitude has taken place during experimentation,” he said.

“There are several important experiments being carried out in the institute, but we have not had any human casualty till now. This is shocking. In fact, this is a world-class laboratory.”