New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) At least nine people were killed and over 80 injured in six terror blasts at crowded market places in the capital Saturday evening – three in Connaught Place, two in Greater Kailash I and one in Karol Bagh.
The first blast took place at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh in central Delhi at 6.15 p.m., killing seven people. Initial reports said the blast had taken place in an auto rickshaw, and had injured around 20 people in the crowded market that specialises in the sale of mobile phones.
Roshan Lal, an eyewitness at Gaffar Marked, told IANS: “The auto rickshaw was lifted into the air by the impact of the blast and I saw bodies flying in every direction.”
Early eyewitness accounts said two of the blasts in Connaught Place took place in the Central Park within a span of 10 seconds, and both bombs had apparently been kept inside dustbins. An estimated 20 people were injured at the spot.
“We ourselves picked up around 20 people from the blast spots and all of them were rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in fire brigade vehicles, ambulances and even auto rickshaws,” said eyewitness Rajesh.
The third blast in Connaught Place took place near Gopal Dass Bhavan in Barakhamba Road at the entrance to the Metro station. This bomb was kept above a dustbin, eyewitnesses said. Two people were killed in the blast, police said without identifying the victims.
Pranjal Baruah, an eyewitness at Barakhamba Road, said: “Two people were killed – one sadhu (ascetic) and a woman.”
Bhagirath, a relative of the ascetic who was killed, was looking for him, still unable to come to terms with the death. “I saw five people being injured,” he said.
Rajiv Thakur, a passerby, helped put people in vehicles headed for the Ram Manohar Lohia and Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospitals.
Police said they had also defused a bomb at India Gate before it could explode.
Delhi Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal and other senior officers reached the blast spots in Connaught Place within a few minutes.
Two more blasts took place in the M-Block market of south Delhi’s Greater Kailash I. One took place at 6.30 p.m. and another seven minutes later. One of the explosions took place in front of the popular Prince Paan Corner.
Police said the explosions in Greater Kailash I were of low intensity and no one was killed. The injured were rushed to local hospitals, and there was no initial estimate of the number of people injured.
Meena Rastogi said: “My husband and I were shopping in Greater Kailash when we heard a blast and there was light all around. At first we thought it was a cylinder blast. But later, as people realised it was a bomb, there was panic everywhere.”
The entire area was cordoned off. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H.S. Dhaliwal said one of the bombs in Greater Kailash I was kept in an auto rickshaw. “CCTV footage will be scrutinised to nail the culprits,” he added.
The injured in the Karol Bagh blast were taken to Lady Hardinge Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Jasaram Hospital and one private hospital.
Forensic experts and bomb disposal squads reached the blast spots.
There was panic and traffic snarls in the affected areas as people tried to leave them while crowds gathered at the same time. Security was immediately tightened across the capital, and other large markets like the one at Sarojini Nagar were evacuated.