Jammu:
"We have received nine patients with one having abdominal injuries and two others fractured legs. The condition of all of them is stable," a doctor at the hospital said. An official identified the injured as Suhail Iqbal, Vishav Partap, Vinod Kumar, Arjun Kumar, Amit Kumar, Rajesh Kumar and Aneesh all residents of Jammu - and Sushil Kumar of Doda. The identity of one person is yet to be ascertained, police said.
"The blasts occurred in the Narwal area of Jammu City," Additional Director General of Police (Jammu) Mukesh Singh said earlier in the day. "At around 11 am a Bolero was parked here and there was an explosion in the vehicle. Five persons who were near the vehicle were injured. Their condition is stable and they have been hospitalized, " he added. The ADGP also said that after the first blast the area was evacuated and when the evacuation process was going on another blast took place.
" One person received minor injuries in the second blast. He is also safe and currently undergoing treatment at a hospital," said Singh."The whole area has been cordoned off and the injured evacuated to hospital," another police official said.
Condemning the blast, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha instructed officials to take stringent action against the perpetrators and bring them to justice. "Such dastardly acts highlight the desperation and cowardice of those responsible. Take immediate and firm action. No efforts should be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice," the Lt Governor told the security officials.
He offered heartfelt sympathies to those injured and announced relief of Rs. 50,000 to those injured in the incident. He also said that the administration would ensure best possible treatment and extend every help required to the affected families.
According to an official statement, the Lieutenant Governor has been briefed by senior police officials about the incident and the status of investigation. The Lieutenant Governor called for urgent steps to identify and take action against those responsible.
The CRPF, the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police are presently sanitizing the area. "It is too early to give you any information. Let us first do the investigation, and then we will get back to you," CRPF Commandant Kamal Sisodiya said. Later, in the day a forensics team reached the spot and collected samples from Narwal in Jammu as a part of their investigation.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Mayor of Jammu Baldev Singh Billawaria said that it can be ascertained whether the blasts were accidental or linked to militant activity only after a thorough investigation. "I have been told that seven people are injured and some of them are critical," the Deputy Mayor said, speaking to reporters.
Speaking about the possibility of a 'militancy angle' into the blasts he said, "They (referring to militants) did something in Rajouri. Republic Day is approaching. Bharat Jodo Yatra is marching ahead. They want to do something to defame Jammu and Kashmir so that they can revive the militancy that is taking its last breaths." A dog squad is presently carrying out an investigation in the area.
The blasts were triggered by suspected terrorists at a time when security agencies in the region are on high alert in the wake of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra of the Congress and the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.
The Yatra entered J-K's Kathua district on Thursday evening via Punjab and is camping in Chadwal, about 70 km from here. After a day's break on Saturday, the yatra, which commenced from Kanyakumari on September 7, is scheduled to resume from Hiranagar on Sunday and reach Jammu on January 23 after starting from Vijaypur in Samba district.
Earlier, an explosion was reported at the house of a former legislator in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. Former Surankote MLA and prominent Gujjar leader Choudhary Mohammad Akram said the incident occurred around 7.30 pm on Friday. His family had a narrow escape as splinters pierced the ceiling of several rooms of his house in Lassana village.
