Fact-Check: False Claims About Bomb Blast Inside Bengaluru Bus Go Viral!

DCP Central District told The Quint that the claim was 'false' and no bomb blast happened in Bengaluru.

A viral social media has claimed that a 'magnetic bomb' targeted a bus in Bengaluru, Karnataka in which three engineers of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were travelling.

This post recorded 45,000 views at the time of writing this story. (Archives of similar claims can be found here and here.)

Is this true?: The claim is false.

• The District Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shekhar H Tekkannavar, Central, Bengaluru confirmed to The Quint that the claim was 'false.' He also mentioned that the bus caught fire due to overheating.

• News reports also point to the same that a state bus caught fire near MG Road.

How did we find out?: We reached out to Shekhar H Tekkannavar, DCP Central of Bengaluru who told us that the claim was 'false.' He mentioned that the bus caught fire due to overheating.

• The DCP also posted about this on his official X page. He wrote, "A BMTC bus caught fire and the fire Force extinguished the fire, no casualties reported." He mentioned the false claim in his post stating that it was a rumour and called it "baseless"

Today around 08:40 am near Anil Kumble Circle, MG Road, a BMTC bus caught fire. Fire Force extinguished fire, no casualties reported. False rumors about a magnetic bomb as circulated on social media is false and baseless. pic.twitter.com/vlh5WSccvG

— DCP Central Division,ಉಪ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಆಯುಕ್ತ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ವಿಭಾಗ (@DCPCentralBCP) July 9, 2024

• With a relevant keyword search, we found multiple news reports about this incident in Bengaluru's MG Road.

• India Today reported on 9 July that a state bus had caught fire but no casualties took place. They mentioned prompt action by the fire department helped extinguish the fire and injuries.

NDTV reported that the bus was from the Koramangala depot on 9 July.

• Sources from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) told NDTV that the engine caught fire as the driver turned on the ignition on MG Road. They noted that the engine could have gotten overheated on the surface.

• The report also mentioned that there were 30 passengers in the bus when the fire broke.

Addtionally, there is no information about an alleged bomb blast inside a bus from Bengaluru.

Conclusion: The claim that a bomb blast happened inside a bus in Bengaluru is false.

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