By Avijit Biswas
Bhagalpur: Total seven children sustained injury in bomb explosion at Khilafat Nagar locality in Sahjangi area of Bhagalpur under Habibpur PS late in the morning on Tuesday. Of those injured six have been admitted at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital for treatment. Three children are stated to have sustained serious injury in the explosion while others have sustained minor injury.
The victims are mostly in 6-12 year age group. Actual cause of bomb explosion in densely populated locality is yet to be ascertained. However, it is suspected explosion occurred as children while playing, unknowingly picked up bomb kept hidden.
As per information some injured children have corroborated that explosion occurred as someone among them inadvertently picked up bomb kept hidden in a bush. In another statement some children have stated that someone had thrown bomb leading to the explosion.
SSP Anand Kumar talking with media persons said senior police officials have inspected the place of occurrence while FSL team that visited the spot has collected the material exhibits recovered from the place for lab examination. The examination of the exhibits is likely to throw light on nature of the bomb he said.
SSP informed no craters as such have been found on road in impact assessment of the explosion, as generally witnessed in case of powerful explosion. However, marks quite similar to that of crude bomb as well powerful cracker explosion have been found on road, he added.
SSP said it is likely to be clear from FSL report whether explosion was caused by powerful or crude bomb. Meanwhile a Special Investigating Team (SIT) led by City SP K Ramdas has been constituted for investigating the incident, SSP informed.
He said SIT would look into cause of explosion beside under what circumstances explosion occurred. If it is established bomb explosion had led to the incident, it would be investigated by SIT how bomb could find way into the locality and who were the people involved in keeping them in locality, SSP added.
Meanwhile seriously injured children admitted at medical college hospital for treatment have been identified as Mannu and Golu both son of Md Irshad beside Haroon son of Md Abdul Sattar. As per police press note the condition of all children undergoing treatment presently is stated to be out of danger according to doctors attending them.
- Writer Avijit Biswas, former principal correspondent of Hindustan Times Bhagalpur bureau, can be contacted at biswasavijit@yahoo.comContact number (mobile): +919431095516
