Blasts rock 3 cities in UP cities; at least 3 dead

Lucknow, Nov 23 (UNI) In a major terrorist strike, at least 3 people were killed and more than 45 injured when serial blasts rocked district courts in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi today, forcing the Uttar Pradesh Government to declare a high alert.

While scores of people were injured in Varanasi and Lucknow, at least two lawyers were feared killed in Faizabad. ''The casualty figure is likely to go up,'' said a police official.

Report from Faizabad said that two powerful blasts occurred inside the district court permises.

In Varanasi, the blast occurred at the district court permises but there was no official confirmation on whether anyone had died in the explosion. However, about a dozen people were injured in the incident. At the time of the blast in Varanasi, BJP MLA Ajay Rai was present in the courst premises in connection with a case.

Soon after the blasts, work in all courts of the state was suspended in apprehension of more explosions.

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