Nalbari (Assam): Six people were on Sunday killed and 54 others injured, 34 of them seriously, in two back to back blasts suspected to have been triggered by ULFA, the second time in a week and five days ahead of the militant outfit's raising day. The bombs, which exploded near a police station here, were strapped to bicycles, Nalbari Police Superintendent Jitmol Doley said. They exploded within a few minutes of each other and about 50 metres apart, he said.
Cars and other vehicles parked in the area were damaged due to the blasts. Rumours of a third blast in the town were discounted by the police.
A high alert has been sounded and patrolling intensified across Assam after the attacks.
A senior police official said the ULFA was behind the explosions ahead of its 'Martyrs' Day' on November 27 and there were reports of a group of nine militants belonging to the outfit's 709 and 27 battalions entering the state to carry out subversive activities.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is in Delhi, condemned the blasts and condoled the death of the innocent people. "We will not tolerate the killing of innocent people. Security has been further heightened and a massive search operation launched to nab the killers," he said.
However, self-styled commander of ULFA's 709 Battalion, suspected to be behind the attacks, Hira Sarania told a local news channel that the outfit was in "no way involved in the bomb blasts and it was just a conspiracy by a certain section to derail the talk process".
Central government-appointed interlocutor P C Haldhar was in Guwahati last week to hold discussions with state government officials ahead of possible talks with ULFA.
Four persons -- Pawan Thakur from Bihar and local residents Ganesh Das, Dipu Das and Keshab Das -- were killed on the spot while two others -- Mohammad Ali, a village headman and Secunder Ali -- died on way to the hospital, Doley said.
Locals protest against ULFA
Following the blasts, people came out of their homes in protest and shouted slogans against the ULFA.
The police immediately cordoned off the entire area, which has a number of shops, and began a thorough check of the town.
On November 16 after a period of comparative lull, ULFA had burnt down 12 oil tankers and derailed four bogies of a goods train.
Chaos prevailed in the Nalbari Civil Hospital, where the injured and the dead were rushed with doctors and nurses trying to calm the agitated people.
The doctors referred 34 persons, who were seriously injured, to Guwahati Medical College Hospital. Relatives of the injured alleged there was delay in the arrival of the ambulances carrying the victims.
The bodies of the dead have been kept at the Civil Hospital and will be handed over to relatives after postmortem, the doctors said.
The blasts caught the Sunday crowd in the heart of the Nalbari town unawares, leading to complete chaos.
"We heard a loud sound and saw smoke billowing from a place near the police station. A cycle to which the bomb was strapped lay completely mangled,"Rajesh Das, an eyewitness, said.
The second bomb went off within a few minutes of the first blast at a distance of about 20 feet. Though its sound was less than the first one, it resulted in more damage, he said.
Local residents further alleged that though the blast took place near a police station, police did not immediately rush for help.
The police later cordoned off the area. Spots of coagulated blood could be seen around the blast site. There were at least 20 damaged motorcycles, bicycles and other vehicles.
Two powerful explosions rocked Assam`s Nalbari town on Sunday, killing five people and wounding more than 50. Videos
Two powerful explosions rocked Assam`s Nalbari town on Sunday, killing five people and wounding more than 50.
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