In a freak accident, a woman lost both her forearms after a hair dryer, sent to someone else, exploded. The incident occurred on Wednesday in Bagalkot district’s Ilkal town. The victim, Basamma Yaranal, lost both her forearms after the hair dryer she was testing exploded in her hands.
The intensity of the explosion was such that Basamma’s fingers shattered and her forearms were severed. It also left blood splattered across the house.
According to Basamma she was helping out her neighbour, Shashikala, who had asked her to collect the hair dryer, sent to Shashikala in a parcel. Basamma said the parcel was shipped via DTDC courier and had Shashikala’s name and mobile number on it and received in Ilkal. When the courier service contacted Shashikala, who was out of town, she asked Basamma to collect and open it on her behalf.
Shashikala and Basamma both are wives of deceased soldiers.
The police said Basamma used the hair dryer because a neighbour was curious to see how it worked. Moments after she plugged it in, the device exploded with a loud noise, causing severe injuries.
Basamma was rushed to a private hospital in Ilkal, and a case has been registered at the Ilkal Police Station. The investigation raised several suspicions because Shashikala later claimed she had not ordered the hair dryer.
Authorities were investigating who placed the order, made the payment, and how the device ended up in Ilkal.
Bagalkot SP, Amarnath Reddy, confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway. “Initially, Shashikala claimed she had purchased the product. However, after the case was registered, she stated she did not order it. “We are conducting a thorough investigation. We also sought an opinion from the electrical inspector, who mentioned that the user manual was not followed while using the device, and the voltage was lower than required. The hair dryer in question is a Chinese-made Kemey hair dryer,” Reddy said.
The hair dryer was shipped from Bagalkot. Investigations were underway to uncover other details.