Bomb blast in Asom: A tragedy well averted

Guwahati, May 26: The casualty figure in today's blast in Guwahati would have been much higher had the blast occurred a few minutes earlier.

At least seven people were killed and 16 injured in the IED blast near a hospital at the Athgaon area in Guwahati at 1030 hrs, the deadliest attack by ULFA in the last six months.

Local residents said there were fours schools on the SC Road, where the blast happened, and between 0800 hrs and 1000 hrs there was a heavy rush of students and guardians coming to schools. Besides this, the Marwari Maternity Hospital and the Ganesh Mandir were also on the same road.

Had the bomb gone off before 1000 hrs, the casualty figure would have been much higher and students the victims, the local residents added.

Meanwhile, the police said ULFA had changed the tactics by planting bombs in autorickshaws instead of motorcycles and bicycles.

Till recently, ULFA had exploded bombs in cycles, motorcycles and rickshaws. However, today's blast took place in an autorickshaw.

The explosion had a severe impact as a gas cylinder was kept in the autorickshaw along with the bomb. Change of the tactics stemmed from the fact that the security check in motorcycles, plying on the roads, had been intensified, police added.

UNI