A low intensity blast occurred on Thursday near the Crime Branch office and PVR cinemas in Prashant Vihar area in Delhi’s Rohini, this explosion took place about 500 meters away from the Central Reserves Police Force (CRPF) school where a bigger blast had ripped through the boundary wall. However, even though the blast on Thursday was of lower intensity, a 28-year-old driver was injured.

The blast was reported by people at around 11.47 am when the residents in the vicinity heard a loud explosion. While initially they assumed it to be a gas cylinder blast, on stepping out they saw a cloud white smoke rising from the area, which had a bad chemical smell.

The victim who sustained minor injuries has been identified as Chetan Kushwaha, who was talking on a phone next to a three wheeler parked near to the place where the blast took place. Kushwaha was working as a driver for Kalpana Sharma, who told The Pioneer that he was waiting for the three-wheeler to be repaired.

“When we heard the loud blast, we all immediately came out of our homes and saw Chetan injured. He had bloody red eyes, an injury on his lips and his clothes also got soiled and hence we took him to the doctor immediately. We also made a PCR call and the police came in sometime,” she said, adding that ever since she inhaled the smoke from the explosion, she has had trouble in her throat. Around the crime scene, white powder marks were seen on the street. His son also said that when he rushed to the spot, he saw a white stone-like substance there.

Coincidently, this blast took place on a day when former Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was holding a press conference on “the deteriorating condition of law and order in the Capital”.

The explosion took place in front of a sweet shop near a park in the same area where a strong blast ripped through a wall of a CRPF school on October 20. The spot was near to the Crime Branch office, Fun City mall, St. Margaret’s Senior Secondary school, Bansi Sweet among other residential places. The entire area was cordoned off immediately after a bomb detection team, dog squad, Special Cell, Crime Branch and Delhi Fire Services reached the spot. White power was recovered from the spot. However, a probe is underway to ascertain more details about the explosion, officials said.

A senior police officer said film screenings were underway inside the multiplex at the time of the blast. Panic ensued among visitors and residents as smoke engulfed the area. A video showing a cloud of smoke around the multiplex emerged on social media following the incident. The distance between the PVR and blast site is a few meters.

Hours after the blast, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of failing to maintain law and order in the National Capital. According to the police sources, the Thursday morning explosion is similar to the blast that occurred outside the CRPF school’s boundary wall in Prashant Vihar last month.

“A similar kind of thick smoke was seen in the air in the October 20 explosion near the CRPF school. The white power was again recovered from the spot,” a police officer said.

The Delhi Police, in a statement, said, “It was found that a very mild intensity explosion occurred near the wall of a small park. One individual suffered minor abrasion. He was instantly taken to the BSA Hospital from where he was discharged after receiving first aid.”

However, locals also recalled the blast in CRPF school and said that this one has a very lower intensity comparatively. An eyewitness said that while the explosion was loud, except minor injuries nothing else was damaged. “My friend’s car was parked just near the three-wheeler and no damage was reported,” the 35 year old man said.

Another shopkeeper, who has his shop near the PVR, stated that these continuous blasts have turned what was once a safe place into an unsafe one. “It used to be a very safe place but I don’t know what has happened that in the last two months the situation has changed. We are terrified because such incidents are happening frequently in this area,” said 50 year old juice Mohar Singh.