Jammu: One dead\, 33 injured in grenade blast at bus station



Jammu: One dead, 33 injured in grenade blast at bus station

Photo: REUTERS

A policeman stands guard at the site of a grenade blast in Jammu.

At least one person has succumbed to injuries and 33 others have been injured in a blast occurred at a bus stand in Jammu on Thursday. According to Jammu IGP MK Sinha, it was a grenade explosion in which several people have received injuries. All the injured have been shifted to the Government Medical College for treatment.

The person who lost his life in the attack has been identified as Mohammad Sharikh, who hails from Haridwar in Uttarakhand. 

The area has been completely cordoned off and state police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have also been deployed at the explosion site. This is the third grenade attack by terrorists in the bus stand area of the city since May last year.

The scene of the blast along the BC Road was sealed off by police and a massive hunt has been launched to nab the grenade thrower, IGP, Jammu, MK Sinha said.

Sinha, who immediately rushed to the scene to take stock of the situation, said preliminary investigation suggests that someone lobbed the grenade, causing injuries to 18 people who were evacuated to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital.

Windscreens of a parked state road transport corporation (SRTC) bus were damaged in the blast, a police official said, adding the condition of one of the injured was stated to be "critical".

Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Defence Subhash Bhamre on grenade explosion said that an investigation has been initiated into the incident. The government has already given complete liberty to the forces to take all necessary steps. 

As per reports, a terrorist group in Kashmir has taken the responsibility for the attack and the police is interrogating 12 suspects in relation to the grenade attack. 

Hitting out at the government, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, "any terrorist incident has to be condemned, but what lessons have our government has learned after Pulwama ... Why is it that the intelligence system is failing ... this is also an intelligence failure, government failure ... high time to wake up ... the government is also responsible ... the government should tell that these are the people who can be held responsible."

Earlier on February 13, around 12 students were seriously injured in a blast at a school in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. The blast had occurred in a school at Narbal in the district.

(With inputs from agencies)