The Hindu : New Delhi News : Two blasts within a gap of 10 minutes at G.K.

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Sunday, Sep 14, 2008
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New Delhi

Two blasts within a gap of 10 minutes at G.K.

Manisha Jha

Woman sustains burn injuries; parked cars bear major impact

First blast went off at about 6-30 p.m. in a dustbin closely followed by another which went off in a bicycle
Windscreens, glass windows of cars completely shattered, leaves ground covered with shards of glass

NEW DELHI: It was a normal day at the M-Block market in Greater Kailash-1 on a busy Saturday evening when shoppers were jolted with the impact of two low intensity bombs that ripped across the market within a gap of about 10 minutes.

Soon panic took over with people rushing out of shops and running in all directions.

The first blast went off in a dustbin located in front of shop no. M-9 at about 6-30 p.m. closely followed by another which went off in a bicycle parked in front of shop no.M-29.

No serious injuries

Though no serious injuries were reported, one woman was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital with burn injuries on her arms. The impact of the blasts were borne by the cars parked in the market. Their windscreens and glass windows were completely shattered leaving the ground covered with shards of glass.

Eyewitness Sudhir Thakur said: “I was inside the shop and was attending to customers in our shop ‘Chawla Jewellers’ when I heard a loud sound followed by dense smoke and the shattering of glass all around. As soon as the first blast occurred I immediately downed the shop shutter from inside and ducked along with the customers. The impact was so huge that tube-lights inside the shops were also shattered. Some pieces of glass hit me in my neck.”

Shoppers alerted

Hitting the panic button soon after the first blast, the market traders’ association president Rajinder Sharda took control of the public announcement system in the police booth and alerted shop keepers to shut their shops. He asked shoppers in the area to assemble in the park located in the centre of the market.

A police team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Delhi) H.G.S Dhaliwal also reached the spot to conduct investigations and gather evidence after cordoning off the blast site. Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra visited the market.

Preliminary tests conducted on the spot by an explosive expert pointed to the use of inorganic nitrate in the bombs.

Goldie Mehta, a resident of Faridabad who had come to the market to shop, said: “When I heard the first blast I was on the other side of the market and took refuge in a shop nearby. After I returned to my parked car I saw the glass windows had been smashed and the windscreen had been damaged.”

By the time the situation at M-Block was brought under control, an alert had been sounded at all major markets in South Delhi.

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