Fact Check: Video claiming bomb blast led to fire accident near Bengaluru stadium ahead of Pakistan-Australia match is MISLEADING
World Cup cricket 2023 matches are being hosted by India. Australia and Pakistan faced each other on October 20, 2023, at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
Claim :
A bomb blast occurred near Bengaluru stadium before the match between Pakistan and AustraliaFact :
The explosion was due to an LPG gas cylinder explosion in a pub in Bengaluru.
World Cup cricket 2023 matches are being hosted by India. Australia and Pakistan faced each other on October 20, 2023, at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Pakistan lost the match to Australia. As the Pakistan team reached Bengaluru and were having practice sessions in the stadium before the match, there was a fire accident in a commercial building. The video of the incident has been shared virally with the claim that the fire broke out due to a bomb blast.
The video is in circulation with the caption “Bomb blast before of Pakistan vs Australia Match in Banglore, India at Midpipe Cafe. *Pakistan had a practice session* #cwc2023 #cwc23india”
Fact Check:
The claim is Misleading. The fire broke out due to an LPG gas cylinder explosion and not due to a bomb blast.
When we searched for the key frames from the video using Google reverse image search, we found a few articles that stated the fire was due to a cylinder explosion.
According to an article in livemint.com, a fire broke out at 11.45 am on October 18 in Bengaluru's Koramangala area in a rooftop cafe and bar, and a man jumped from off the fourth floor to escape the flames. The fire spread rapidly throughout the building following explosions in multiple gas cylinders kept in the kitchen of the restaurant and bar. The first explosion occurred when gas leaked from one of the cylinders and broke into a fire after which intensified and set ablaze other 3-4 cylinders. Fire fighters arrived at the scene with at least six fire brigade vehicles that brought the fire under control.
According to navbharattimes.com, police said that prima facie it appears that the fire broke out due to gas leakage in the kitchen of Mudpipe Hookah Cafe. Within no time the fire engulfed the entire pub.
The claim was also debunked by Karnataka state police which stated that the incident occurred in MUDPIPE CAFÉ in Koramangala, Bengaluru. Preliminary inquiry suggests that the fire broke out in a cafe called MUDPIPE due to gas leakage from a cylinder. The fire department, NDRF, Bangalore City Police, and the public have done a commendable job in dousing the fire at the earliest and ensured that the injured were shifted to the hospital for treatment.
Hence, the claim that the bomb blast caused the fire incident that took place on October 18, 2023, is MISLEADING. The fire was caused due to an LPG gas cylinder explosion in the kitchen section of a pub in Bengaluru.
