Kolkata: The police have said that at least five persons, including a child, were injured in a high intensity blast in Dumdum in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday, October 2.

An eyewitness said, “The blast ripped through adjacent shops and damaged the pedestrian walk”

Barrackpore Police Commissioner, Rajesh Kumar Singh said, “A large explosion took place outside a shop in Nagerbazar area today morning. What caused the explosion is yet to be ascertained. Several people have been injured in the blast”.

“We are investigating the matter. The bomb squad of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been called to the spot. We have cordoned off the area. Several items including a bag have been seized from the spot and sent for forensic tests. We are still finding out the kind of explosives used in the bomb”, he added.

Trinamool Congress leader and Chairperson of South Dumdum municipality, Panchu Gopal Roy said, “The blast was targeted towards me”.

“I think they tried to target me. Today is October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. We all know which group was involved in Gandhiji’s killing. I will not be surprised if that same group was involved in this blast,” he added.

An 8-year-old boy killed in the blast
“In the blast, an eight-year-old boy is killed and atleast nine of them are injured”, said a police.

“More explosives were used to magnify the effects of the low intensity crude bombs — parts of which ricocheted off the concrete floor and hit a terrace causing the impact of the blast to be double.

“Bibhash Gosh, an eight-year-old kid, who was injured in the blast, has succumbed at the hospital,” he said.

According to the officer, the bomb exploding on the solid surface created a tremor which caused the glass window panes of the adjacent multi-storied buildings to shatter.

According to the police, at least nine others, including a woman sustained injuries and have been admitted to the state-run SSKM Hospital.