Bengaluru: Three people were seriously injured after an air conditioner explosion at Kalyan Jewellers store in Karnataka's Ballari on Thursday evening. The explosion was triggered by a malfunction in the gas refilling process of the store’s central air conditioning system.

As smoke engulfed the store premises, fire tenders and a team of police officials arrived at the spot as soon as they received information about the incident. The injured individuals who were identified as gas technicians were immediately rushed to Vims Hospital for treatment.

Several videos of the incident has surfaced which showed crowd outside the store as shattered window glasses lay around the store, while the injured were taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Ballari Superintendent of Police confirmed that the explosion resulted from a fire in the AC vent and that no foul play is suspected at this time. A case has been registered under three sections of the law to investigate the negligence and potential endangerment caused by the incident.

Earlier this year, a Mumbai woman died after an air-conditioner exploded at her Vile Parle residence, leading to a fire. The 45-year-old woman was found unconscious in her flat after the AC unit exploded, suspected to be due to a short circuit. The victim, identified as Swarupa Shah, who lived alone in her flat in Amit Parivar CHS on Dixit Road, was discovered by neighbours who noticed black smoke emanating from her apartment door.

– With inputs from Prajwal