Hyderabad, May 18 (IANS) At least five people were killed and 16 injured in a bomb blast during Friday prayers at the historic Mecca Masjid here.
Eyewitnesses said the blast occurred when thousands of Muslims were about to complete ‘namaz’.
The blast took place near ‘wazu khana’ or water tank, where Muslims do ablution before offering prayers.
The bomb was hidden under a stone bench on the vast premises of the mosque.
“I heard a loud thud as we were about to complete the prayers. The Imam (head priest) asked people not to panic as people thought a tyre had burst,” said Rafeeq Ahmed, who was offering prayers inside the main building of the mosque.
“Seconds later people were running in panic. I came out and saw human body parts strewn around and the injured were being shifted,” he told IANS.
Though police have not confirmed the toll in the blast, eyewitnesses said they saw five bodies.
Hundreds of policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were rushed to the area, the oldest and busiest commercial hub of old quarters. Shops and business establishments around the historic Charminar were closed.
The area was cordoned off and even media personnel were not allowed. Police intensified patrolling in sensitive areas of the old city, which has a long history of communal violence.