Aaj Tak Gives Communal Angle To Chemical Blast That Took Place In Hyderabad

Several media outlets have reported about the chemical blast that took place in Gowliguda, Hyderabad. The incident has been reported as having taken place at a mosque located in Gowliguda.

In an AajTak report, it was claimed that the chemical blast took place in the Gowliguda Gol Mosque in Hyderabad. Notably, AajTak and other media outlets have reported misleading information in the past as can be found in this The Logical Indian report here.

Claim:

AajTak and media outlets such as OpIndia reported that a chemical blast took place at Gauliguda Gol Masjid, Hyderabad. The reports were circulated across social media with claims that terrorist activities were being undertaken in the mosque which is why chemicals were present.

Aaj Tak published a news article on 12 June 2022 which carried the following headline: "Hyderabad: Chemical blast at Gauliguda Gol Masjid, 2 seriously injured". AajTak later updated the report.

Right-wing news website, OpIndia also circulated the claim widely reiterating the narrative as presented by Aaj Tak. OpIndia published a report on 12 June 2022 titled "Chemical blast in Hyderabad mosque: Son Bharat's found in pieces, father Venugopal's condition critical".

The reports is viral on Twitter and Facebook with a similar claim.

A Facebook user wrote a caption which reads in Hindi, "मस्जिद में कैमिकल का क्या काम? इतना कैमिकल की उसमे ब्लास्ट हो जाये क्यों इकट्ठा किया गया था? कैसा कैमिकल था जिसमें ब्लास्ट हो जाये."

[English Translation: What is the use of chemical in the mosque? Why was so much chemical collected that it would explode? What kind of chemical was there that would explode?]

Fact Check:

The Logical Indian fact check team verified the viral claim and found it to be false. The chemical blast actually took place when a father-son duo were cleaning a resin container with water.

We conducted a keyword search with the relevant keywords such as 'Chemical blast in Hyderabad' to verify whether the reports by AajTak were factual. We came across this report by the Outlook published on June 13, 2022. The report is titled, "Man Dies, Father Injured In Chemical Blast In Hyderabad" The report carried details of the incident stating that it happened within the limits of Afzalgunj police station in Hyderabad. A father-son duo were cleaning a can containing liquid chemicals with water and disposing of the waste into a manhole in front of their house. However, a sudden explosion took place leading to the man's death on the spot and his father was injured.

As per the Outlook report, the man's father managed to survive with injuries as he had entered the house to turn off the water supply when the explosion took place.

We also came across a report by The NewsMinute which contained more details about the incident. The News Minute report published on 12 June 2022, identified the deceased as Bharath Battad aged 32. He and his father Gopal Battad, aged 56, resided in the Moguram basthi of Maharaj Gunj area in Hyderabad. They worked as traders at a Kirana store where they also stored unsaturated polyester resin and kept several chemicals as a part of their profession.

The report quotes eyewitnesses at the scene saying that the man and his father were dumping a chemical into a manhole as its validity had expired. They had mixed water in the can in an attempt to clean it which led to the blast. The father Gopal is being treated at Osmania General Hospital for injuries.

Quoting the Sub Inspector of Police in Hyderabad, I Kalpana, stated, that a preliminary probe indicates the explosion occurred as they were cleaning a can of unsaturated polyester resin with water. The NewsMinute quoted the Hyderabad police stating that a case under 174 of the Criminal Procedural Code, with regards to a suspicious death, has been registered.

We also came across this report by The New Indian Express published on 13 June 2022. In the report, as per the police, Bharat Battad's father Gopal Battad, 59, runs a Kirana store. At the Kirana store, a resin used for binding plastic, fibre material and fixing floor tiles was sold. The New Indian Express quoted M Ravindar Reddy, Inspector at Afzal Gunj Police Station who said that investigations have revealed that Gopal has been producing the chemical through legal means and had a valid licence. "However, it is to be verified if he had the requisite permission to store the chemical.", the inspector is quoted as saying in the report.

We came across more reports by Jansatta, Siasat Daily and ANI News which gave similar information about the incident. As per the reports, the police through preliminary investigations suggested that the chemical was outdated and had solidified in the container. The chemical reacted with water when Bharat was cleaning the can and the blast took place killing him on the spot.

The Logical Indian Fact Check Team could not independently verify the reason for the blast. However, we are able to ascertain that none of the reports carried a mention of the incident taking place in the vicinity of a mosque or within a mosque.

Conclusion:

We found in our investigation, the chemical blast actually took place when a father-son duo were cleaning a resin container with water. The incident took place on June 12 in Gowliguda within the limits of Afzalgunj police station in Hyderabad. Bharath Battad, aged 32 and his father Gopal Battad, aged 56, worked as traders at a Kirana store where they stored unsaturated polyester resin and kept several chemicals as a part of their profession.

The preliminary investigations suggested that the chemical was outdated and had solidified in the container. The chemical reacted with water when Bharath was cleaning the can and the blast took place killing him on the spot. None of the reports carried a mention of the incident taking place in the vicinity of a mosque or within a mosque.

It can be affirmed that the media outlets such as AajTak and OpIndia circulated a false communal claim through their reports which went viral across social media with false allegations of terrorism against the Muslim community in Hyderabad.

If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.

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