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Five killed, 20 injured 6 in serial blasts in Patna before Narendra Modi's election rally

Lakhs gather despite news of second bomb blast in Patna

PATNA, (TNP) :  Five people were killed and 66 injured in six serial bomb blasts near the venue of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally in Patna on Sunday minutes before he reached there to address a huge gathering.

Hours before the multiple explosions, a crude bomb went off in a newly constructed toilet at the Patna railway station, two km from the BJP’s ‘Hunkar rally’ venue.

Five people died from blast injuries and 66 others were being treated for these injuries, according to Vimal Karak, Deputy Superintendent of Patna Medical College Hospital.

Immediatly after the blast, bomb disposal personnel came to the spot and recovered two crude bombs, Railway Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sinha said. 

All the 11 trains booked by BJP for the rally had arrived much before the blast, Station Manager of Patna Junction Raju Kumar said. 

The railway station is barely two kilometers from Gandhi Maidan, venue of the 'Hoonkar rally' to be addressed by BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Modi. 

Five low intensity blasts occurred on the outer periphery of the Gandhi Maidan, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami told in Delhi. One bomb went off before the Eliphistine cinema hall on the western side of the rally venue, police said. Tens of thousands of people had gathered at the rally venue.

Immediately after the explosion at the railway station, bomb disposal swept the area and recovered two more crude bombs, Railway Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sinha said.

One security personnel was injured while defusing a bomb recovered from the toilet, he said.

People were seen rushing the injured to the hospital as the explosions sparked panic.

At the rally, plumes of smoke billowed from a couple of sites even as BJP leaders, including Mr. Modi, addressed the crowd.

The Home Ministry sought a report from the Bihar government on the explosions and has sent teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) to the state.

“I can’t say whether it was a terror attack or political conspiracy. Only after the investigation, we will be able to tell anything,” Union Minister of State for Home R P N Singh said.

Mr. Modi later said he was saddened at the blasts. “Blasts in Patna are deeply saddening and unfortunate. Condolences with families of deceased and prayers with injured. I appeal for peace and calm,” the Gujarat Chief Minister said in a tweet.

Hours after the blasts, one live bomb was found at Gandhi maidan and it was being defused, police said. The entire maidan was also being searched thoroughly.

Krishna, an eyewitness, said the gathering was first told that the tyre of a vehicle had exploded after the first explosions went off near the rally venue.

“But it didn’t seem so. I went there to check. I knew they were bomb blasts. The sound of the blasts was too loud,” he said.

"This blast cannot stop the youth from being part of Modi's rally. There is anger among people and they want to get rid of Congress and also other parties who are standing with it," BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. 

"Investigation should be done so as to find out who is behind it," he said. 

Former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said that the blast had put a question mark on security arrangements for such a big occasion. Sushil Kumar Modi, who was at Gandhi Maidan, said he got the information about the blast over phone from a well wisher from abroad. 

"When I checked it with the district magistrate. He was not aware of the incident," he said. Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sabir Ali questioned why "such incidents were happening after JD(U) parted ways with BJP". 

Modi later said he was saddened at the blasts. "Blasts in Patna are deeply saddening and unfortunate. Condolences with families of deceased and prayers with injured. I appeal for peace and calm," the Gujarat chief minister said in a tweet.