50 including top bureaucrat, injured in Nepal blast

Kathmandu, Jan 31: More than 50 people, including district's top bureaucrat, were injured on Wednesday when a bomb went-off near the Seven-party mass meeting in Birgunj bordering with Raxaul in Nepal.

The blast occurred near the Narayani stadium, where the parties that included the Nepali Congress, CPN, UML and Maoists, among others, were holding the joint mass meet to generate awareness about the upcoming election scheduled to be held on April 10. Chief District Officer Bhola Prasad Siwakoti was among the injured people. Two persons were seriously injured in the explosion, while others were out of danger. The injured were rushed to the local hospital.

However, the meeting continued, despite the explosion and the leaders vowed to defeat the terrorist acts, holding the Constituent Assembly at any cost, local media reports said.

According to a local newspaper, police suspected one of the injured person to have detonated the bomb. He has been undergoing treatment at Birgunj hospital, sources added.

Earlier, some armed groups in Terai had threatened to disrupt the meeting, saying that the election did not help in resolving the problems of people of Terai.

UNI