4 injured in explosion at Guwahati’s Pan Bazar days before Durga Puja

The four injured suffered minor wounds and were provided medical care at a Hospital nearby, police said.

Updated on: Oct 13, 2018, 23:09:18 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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A low-intensity blast rocked Assam’s capital Guwahati on Saturday morning, injuring four people.

The explosion took place at a construction material dump in the Pan Bazar area. (ANI/Twitter)

Banned outfit United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) claimed responsibility for the explosion, which took place ahead of Durga Puja celebrations.

According to police, the blast occurred at around 11:45am near the Sukreswar Temple, close to the Brahmaputra riverbank, in the city’s Panbazar area that also houses the high court building and deputy commissioner’s office. “We are not yet sure about what kind of explosives were used in the blast. Bomb disposal experts are conducting investigations. We are probing all possible leads,” said Guwahati police commissioner Pradip Chandra Saloi.

The explosion took place at a construction material dump, police officials familiar with the matter said, adding that the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital.

After the blast, ULFA-I commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah claimed responsibility for the explosion. “This explosion was directed against those opposing NRC update and against those organisations supporting settling of Hindu Bangladeshis in Assam. This explosion is to warn the anti-Assam forces,” news agency IANS quoted him as saying.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More