56 dead, 350 injured as 13 Serial blasts rock Assam, India
A series of coordinated Bomb blasts tore through towns and cities in India’s northeastern state of Assam on Thursday, killing at least 56 people and wounding more than 350, officials said.
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The blasts took place at Ganeshguri and district court close to the chief minister’s residence, Fancy Bazaar, Dispur Road and Pan Bazaar area in Guwahati. Blasts also occurred in other districts of Assam including Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon.
A red alert had been sounded across the state following the high intensity explosions that occurred almost simultaneously at around 11.30 am triggering fires in many areas. Most of the blasts were in crowded markets.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been promulgated in Guwahati following the blasts which the police suspect to be the handiwork of the banned ULFA and HUJI extremists.
The first blast in Guwahati occurred at a vegetable and fruit market at Ganeshguri in a
high security zone near the flyover with a court as well as offices and homes of senior police officials adjacent to the secretariat and the Assembly. The blast caused a major fire in the area with smoke engulfing the entire market and nearby places.
The second bomb exploded in front of the Kamrup district deputy commissioner’s office, injuring many and destroying several cars parked there, the sources said. The third explosion rocked areas near the police station of the busy Fancy Bazar, triggering panic among shoppers, many of whom were injured, the sources said. In Kokrajhar, the explosives were suspected to have been planted in a two-wheeler.
The nature of explosives is still unknown; visuals however show the explosives appear to be of high-intensity and more powerful than those used in other attacks in the country.
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