Bengaluru blast: How a techie escaped Rameshwaram Cafe mishap minutes before the explosion, ‘My mother called…’

livemint.com:

The Indian Express that it was a daily routine for him to visit Rameshwaram Cafe. The blast at Rameshwaram Cafe was reported at 1 pm on Friday, March 1. The techie, who initially assumed that the blast was from a gas cylinder explosion was midway through his lunch when he received a phone call from his mother.

Kumar Alankrit had stepped out of the cafe to attend to his mother's phone call, it was just then that he heard a loud thud, the blast ended up injuring ten people. The software engineer said, “I had finished my idli and was about to eat dosa. My mother called me over the phone and I walked some 10 metres away to talk to her which saved my life, " reported The Indian Express. Kumar Alankrit informed The Indian Express, “My mother called me just to inquire how the day was going and also she was checking whether I had lunch.

I had moved some 10-15 metres away from where the blast took and it saved me. It took me a while to come to terms that I remained unhurt." He stayed at the blast site for around 45 minutes following the blast and said, “Initially, the local people and even I believed that it was a domestic cylinder blast and I rushed to help some of the injured." He further noted, "There were about more than 100-150 people in the cafe when the incident took place. It was only in the evening after going through media reports I came to know that it was a bomb blast," reported The Indian Express.

Later, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that the blast was caused by to IED explosion. He further informed that one person wearing a mask and cap had come by bus who is suspected to be behind the blast. He said that the masked man, "bought Rava Idly from the counter at the cafe and sat down at a place.