A “low intensity” blast took place in a Haryana Roadways bus in Kurukshetra district on Thursday, injuring at least eight passengers. The Sonepat depot bus, carrying 25 people, was going from
Delhi to Chandigarh when the blast took place near Kurukshetra’s Pipli area.
Talking to the mediapersons Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police (SP) Simardeep Singh said the injured, including the driver and conductor of the bus, were admitted to the civil hospitals at Kurukshetra and Pipli.
He said, “Forensic experts have been called to collect samples from the bus. The reason behind the blast could be ascertained only after the forensic examination.”
He added that the security had been beefed up in the region after the incident.
Meanwhile, the State Government has constituted a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Director General of Police, Crime, SS Kapoor to investigate the explosion incident at Kurukshetra and two other cases of explosion that had occurred in Panipat on January 16 and May 13.
The Government has also announced financial assistance of `50,000 to each of the injured in the incident.
According to the police, the blast in a bus on Thursday was powerful enough to shatter the window panes of Sonepat depot bus. The police have recovered a battery and a suspicious bag from the bus which seems to have been used to cause the blast.
This is the second blast in the region in the past two weeks. A blast had taken place in a bogie of a stationed train at Panipat railway station on May 12. Earlier this year, another blast had taken place in a train at Panipat railway station on January 15.
Following the explosion incident at Kurukshetra, Transport Minister Krishan lal Panwar visited lNJP Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra to enquire the well-being of those who were injured in explosion in the Haryana Roadways bus.
The Minister said that the State Government would give a financial assistance of `50,000 to each of the injured in the incident and wished them speedy recovery. He appreciated the manner in which the driver and conductor of the bus helped the injured and said that letters of appreciation would be given to both of them for the act of their bravery.