Skip to content Skip to navigation

Blast in the Time of Festival: 5 dead, 20 injured

Guwahati: In yet another ‘handiwork,’ ULFA explodes a powerful bomb in the busy Machkhowa areas on Saturday morning at around 7-30 which left four people dead and more than twenty injured.

The blast that rocks again in the time of the grand Ambubachi mela atop Kamakhya and Asian Athletic Grand Prix at Sarusajai, took place in front of a mosque. All those four were killed on the spot.

The bomb was placed beside a small tea stall at the daily fruit and vegetable market. Most of the vendors and visitors were not present in the morning when the bomb exploded.

The injured people have been admitted to the nearby hospital for treatment by the people who rushed to the spot hearing the huge sound the blast made. The conditions of four of these people are critical.

Immediately after the incident, police and top ranked police and civil officials including the Deputy Commissioner Abinash Joshi arrived in the spot and started investigation. Later talking to the reporters on the spot, Mr Joshi says the blast is a handiwork of ULFA.

Meanwhile, the city police beefs up security arrangement in view of the grand fair and festival at the Kahakhya temple and also to ensure security to the athletes across the Asian countries in view of the 16th Asian Grand Prix. The event is inaugurated on Saturday by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Panic spreads among those who gatecrash the Kamakhya temple premises to participate in the on going Ambubashi fair. These people have arrived in the fair spot from the last week.

Comments

A. R.'s picture

The explosion took place at Machkhowa and that too in front of a mosque at 5.30 A.M. and not at 7.30 A.M. The time 5.30 A.M. of Muslim Fajar Salah( morning prayer ) Immediately after the incident, police and top ranked police and civil officials including the Deputy Commissioner Abinash Joshi arrived in the spot and started investigation. Later talking to the reporters on the spot, Mr Joshi says the blast is a handiwork of ULFA. How can A. Joshi imediately blame ULFA without proper investigation. This is second blast in Muslim area within weeks. The last week was - The explosion took place at a predominantly Muslim area in village Gulutuk in Kamrup district, 50 km from Guwahati. The Guluktuk blast - "The blast was carried out at the behest of the RSS and was executed by the organisation's youth wing with Abhijit Sarma as the kingpin," ULFA spokesman Raju Baruah said in a statement received by IANS. "Sarma is a member of RSS's youth wing," the statement said. How can a place which is 100% Muslim - a bomb blast ? This is the main question which the local people's should think.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

HC rejects Gaurav’s bail plea

19 Jul 2012 - 8:00pm | editor
The Gauhati High Court on Thursday rejected journalist Gauravjyoti Neog’s plea he moved to procure anticipatory bail in connection with the molestation case in the city. A division bench of the...

Gold for Assam cyclists

24 Dec 2015 - 2:44pm | AT News
Assam cyclists team at the 68th National Track Cycling Championship held at Ludhiana, Punjab from December 16-20 won several awards.  Gold Medal in 3000 meters Team Pursuit  for...

Tangla College teachers observe Black Day

22 Aug 2017 - 9:47pm | Shajid Khan
The Tangla College teachers also joined the nationwide Black Day called under the banner of the All India Federation of University & College Teachers' Organisation and Assam College Teachers'...

Let peace prevail: Patnaik appeals

26 Jul 2012 - 7:19pm | editor
Assam governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik has appealed to the trouble mongers to abandon the path of violence in any form and work for the promotion of peace, amity; communal harmony. Patnaik, who is...

Other Contents by Author

The Centre on Monday doles out a Rs 500 crore special package for mitigate the misery of the flood-ravaged Assam. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the package after he made an aerial survey in the worst-hit areas with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday. Dr Singh also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh to the next of the kin of each of the 77 people who met watery grave. He said the the primary focus would be on rescuing people who have been left marooned in flood-hit areas and providing relief to them. The Prime Minister said that immediate steps would be taken by the Railways Ministry to restore the stretch of damaged rail lines which has cut off links to Barak Valley,...
Forest personnel guarding the Kaziranga National Park have found one horn rhino carcass in Karbi Anglong district on Monday. The rhino was believed to have poached when it was found missing. According to KNP officials, the rhino came out of the park territory searching for food and the poachers took the advantage. But according to preliminary investigation, the rhino was killed at least two days back.
Miss Priyanka Bawri from Meghalaya was crowned 3rd Miss India North-East, an annual event of Zest Events, on 30th June at Pragjyotsh ITA Cultural Complex, Guwahati. Followed by Miss Ananya Parashar from Assam who bagged 1st runner up and Miss Swati Jaiswal from Assam adjudged 2nd runner up.There were total of 21 contastant from Northeast region. The First Round saw the contestants in Traditional Costumes by Designer Manimala Mahanta Ahmed. The second round was Casual Wear by Designer Anindita Hazarika. The third round was Formal Gowns by Designers Payal Ohsan Goswami...
Prime minister Monmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are on a hurricane visit to Assam to take stock of the flood fury that claimed over 30 people during this month. Accompanied by chief minister Tarun Gogoi and PWD minister Ajanta Neog, Dr Singh and Gandhi, made an aerial survey from a chopper in Majuli, Sivasagar, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Kaziranga. After a brief halt, the duo left for Guwahati to assess the situation in lower Assam. The are expected to announce a special package for post-flood situation at a press conference in Guwahati before wrapping up the visit.
The mob attack on Rumi Nath brewed an orgy of violent in Barak valley on Sunday where at least 10 people have been injured. Police resorted to lathicharge when supporters of the MLA enforced a 12 hour bandh in the Barak valley. Tension is simmering in Barak Valley over the assault of the MLA and her second husband Jacky Zakir as violence was reported from several areas. Five persons suspected to have been involved in the attack on the woman MLA have been arrested from in Karimganj. Bandh supporters in large number pelted stones and damaged two buses of the Assam State Transport Corporation in Karimganj. Eight minority organisations, including Ahl-e-Sunnat, called for a 12-hour bandh in...
KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi on Sunday dared Chief Minister to disclose the details of his USA trip. Gogoi claimed that the Chief Minister’s foreign trip was purely a personel. Addressing a press conference on Sunday he lambasted Tarun Gogoi alleging that the chief minister was downplaying the woes of the flood-hit people. He alleged that the flood-hit people had been provided with old medicines in many relief camps.
Asom Gana Parishad on Sunday demands a special package of Rs30,000 crore for flood relief in the state. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, party spokesman Durga Das Boro flayed the government over its negligence in providing relief to the flood victims. The party further demanded that flood and erosion should be declared a national problem. Boro said that Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi should take steps to provide the latest flood-mitigation technology to the state instead of stock-taking visit.
Marooned Assam is ready to receive Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the absence of the chief miister. The water levels of the major rivers have shown receding trend on Sunday but the people are yet to get out of the blues. The death toll has gone up to 61 while nearly two million people are affected. Many died of landslides in the past few days while about 2000 villages are affected spared across a large number of districts. The Army said on Sunday it is assisting in Flood Relief Operations in all affected areas of the two states. Reacting swiftly, Army has deployed 122 teams in flood affected areas for rescue and relief operations in Sonitpur, Kamrup...
Two mild earthquakes jolted Assam and its neighbouring states on Sunday creating panic among the people in the time of flood. There was no report of any loss of life or damage in Assam. But the nic-striken people ran out of their high rise buildings in Guwahati to get rid of a catastrophe. According to the India Meteorological Department, an earthquake of 4.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale took place at 1.13 am with its epicentre located at 28.7 degree north latitude and 96.2 degree east longitude in the Arunachal Pradesh-Xizang border region. The second earthquake took place at 9.43 am measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale with its epicentre located at 25.7 degree north latitude and 94.6...
Karimganj police have arrested five people for allegedly attacking Congress MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Jaki Jakir on Friday midnight. They were picked up on Saturday night from five different places in the Barak Valley district. Nath has filed an FIR with the police alleging that a mob had attacked her on political motivation. Further investigations are on.