M A I N   N E W S

Terror visits Jaipur, 60 die in blasts

Jaipur, May 13
Terrorists struck for the first time in Jaipur triggering eight serial blasts in a span of 12 minutes tonight in crowded market areas and near a Hanuman temple in the walled city leaving at least 60 killed and 200 injured.

“According to information I have received 60 persons have died and 150 have been injured,” said Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who rushed back to the state capital from Jodhpur.

Bangladesh-based Harkut-ul-Jehadi Islami (HuJI) is suspected to be behind the blasts and that has taken the state authorities by surprise, home ministry sources said.

The sources ruled out the use of RDX in the carefully orchestrated low-intensity explosions, which were suspected to have been set off from cycles in areas, including near Hawa Mahal that are frequented by domestic and foreign tourists.

The blasts rocked Tripolia Bazar, where a large number of devotees turned up at a Hanuman temple, Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal — all located within a two-km radius in the old city. IG(Jaipur) Pankaj Singh said in all there were eight blasts, a couple of them in the same area.

The police said one explosive was defused by the bomb disposal squad near the Hanuman temple.

Blood was splattered at the scene of the blasts, which tossed some of the victims several feet up. The Centre rushed Bomb Data squad of the National Security Guards (NSG) to Jaipur.

Rajasthan DGP A.S. Gill said the blasts were “obviously a terror attack”. The Union home ministry reviewed the situation. The bomb blasts came eight months after terrorists struck at Ajmer killing two persons. Doctors said many of the victims had shrapnel injuries. They feared that the toll may go up further.

The blasts triggered panic and a stampede-like situation amid allegations by opposition parties that there was a total intelligence failure.

IPL Chief Lalit Modi said said a league match scheduled to be played in Jaipur on Saturday would go on as planned.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were deployed in Jaipur to help deal with the situation as security was beefed up. One of the blasts took place in a car and another near a handloom shop in the Kotwali area of the city, home department sources said.

Most of the injured were rushed to Sawai Man Singh hospital. Bodies of several victims lay strewn in the corridors of hospitals.

The blasts triggered a near-stampede situation at the blast sites crammed with peak-hour shoppers as panic-stricken people ran helter skelter in search of a safe place. The Hanuman temple at Tripolia bazar was crowded with worshippers being a Tuesday.

Preliminary investigations revealed that cycle ball bearings were used in the explosions to inflict shrapnel injuries on the victims. A clock timer was also found at one of the blast sites.

Alert sounded

New Delhi: The home ministry tonight issued advisories to states to be extra vigilant regarding security in crowded places following the serial blasts in Jaipur. It has directed the states to take adequate measures so that anti-social elements do not take advantage of the situation. A National Security Guard team has left for Jaipur to help in the investigation. The US tonight condemned the “vicious act of terrorism” in Jaipur and said there could be no justification for such attacks.