By IANS,
Malegaon (Maharashtra) : The explosion that claimed four lives in this Maharashtra town Monday night was caused by a bomb placed on a motorcycle, police said Tuesday.
Earlier reported to be a gas cylinder explosion, the blast at Bhikku Chowk in the heart of the town left over 50 people injured.
“The bomb, placed on a motorcycle, went off at around 9.30 p.m. Four people were killed on the spot,” Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Patil told IANS.
An Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrived from Nashik and is conducting investigations, he added.
Over six people, including policemen, were also injured when an irate mob that gathered at the blast site attacked the police, forcing them to open fire.
Three mosques are situated on three sides of Bhikku Chowk in the communally sensitive powerloom town’s Nayapura area. At the time of the blast, several people were shopping for the upcoming Eid festival, Mayor Najibuddin Shaikh said.
The injured have been admitted to the Noor and Farhan hospitals nearby. Four of them are said to be in a serious condition, the mayor said.
Malegaon was rocked by four bomb blasts two years ago. Thirty-one people were killed and 300 injured in the terror attacks.