By IANS
New Delhi : Panic gripped south Delhi residents Wednesday after one person was injured in an explosion near the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Police said the blast was the result of an electricity capacitor bursting while some sources said a small crude bomb could have caused it.
The blast occurred below the IIT flyover, in front of the Indian Gas Agency at around 10.30 a.m.
A youth identified as Shivnath who was riding by on a motorcycle suffered injuries on his head and back. He was stated to be recuperating at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
“After seeing the pattern of explosion on the gas agency wall and other evidence, we strongly suspect it was a low intensity crude bomb that had exploded in the morning. We have sent the samples to the forensic lab to verify the facts,” a Delhi Police special cell official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.
However, Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Baghat maintained that it was not a bomb explosion.
“There was no bomb explosion. It was just a blast in the capacitor of the electricity pole. People should not give importance to rumours and maintain peace and calm,” he said.
Munish Chauhan, 35, who works at the gas station, told IANS: “My colleagues and I were working when all of a sudden we heard a deafening blast and then the dust and smoke engulfed the entire area. We got very scared and every one started running for their lives.”
Vijay Pal, 44, was sipping his morning tea at his tyre puncture shop in the nearby petrol pump when he heard the deafening sound.
“After a few seconds I realized that a motorbike rider was emerging from the dust. He was bleeding heavily from his head and back. The bike rider himself called the emergency number. The traffic policemen who were on duty also rushed to the spot,” Vijay Pal said.
“Thankfully a major tragedy was averted as there wasn’t heavy traffic on the road at that time,” he told IANS.
Soon after the blast, several police control room (PCR) vans, fire tenders and a bomb disposal squad arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area for about an hour so that officials could inspect the explosion site.
However, police officials were confused about the cause of the explosion.
Some said it could have been a tyre burst as they failed to find any strong evidence of a bomb blast at the scene.
One inspector said: “Even I am confused. Many theories related to the blast are being discussed.”