KOLKATA: At least one person died and several others were injured, including a woman, in a high-intensity blast in the Nagerbazar area in Kolkata's northern suburbs on Tuesday.
The explosion was reported outside a fruit shop on the ground floor of a multi-storey building in the congested Kazipara area under the jurisdiction of Dumdum Police Station around 9 AM, a police officer said.
The blast ripped through adjacent shops and damaged the pedestrian walk, eyewitnesses said.
"A large explosion took place outside a shop in Nagerbazar area today morning. What caused the explosion is yet to be ascertained. Several people have been injured in the blast," Barrackpore Police Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Singh said.
"We are investigating the matter. The bomb squad of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been called to the spot. We have cordoned off the area," he added.
"It was a high-intensity blast. We have found some iron nails but can't ascertain the cause of blast yet as there is no smell of gunpowder, a CID official said.
West Bengal: Police says, "It was a high-intensity blast. 4 people seriously injured, 6 injured. Found some iron nails but can't ascertain cause of blast yet as there is no smell of gunpowder."; Visuals of CID bomb disposal squad at site of explosion in Dum Dum's Nager Bazar area pic.twitter.com/S06xWaGvi7
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader and Chairman of South Dumdum municipality Panchu Gopal Roy alleged that the blast was targeted at him.
"I think they tried to target me. Today is October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. We all know which group was involved in Gandhi ji`s killing. I will not be surprised if that same group was involved in this blast," he said.
Those injured in the blast were immediately rushed to the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
A forensic team and sniffer dogs were rushed to the spot to ascertain the nature of the explosion, police said.
