Seven killed, 10 hurt in Jalandhar blast

Seven people, including a Home Guard jawan, were killed and 10 others seriously injured in a powerful bomb blast in Jalandhar Friday.

A police spokesperson said that at about 1.05 pm IST, a bomb exploded outside the city railway station. Of the two persons injured were reported to be in serious condition, the spokesperson said. Home Guard Hira Singh who was on traffic duty was killed.

Those killed have been identified as Girdhari Lal and his son Kulwinder Singh, J L Hira (all residents of Delhi), Kamlesh Kumar, Home Guard Hira Singh, Ram Kumar and Babbu.

The blast occurred minutes after the Amritsar-bound Shane Punjab left the station at 1.04 pm IST. District Police Chief Dinkar Gupta believed the blast occurred above the ground as no crater was formed.

Krishan Lal Dua, sitting at his tea shop some 15 metres away from the blast site, was concussed and doctors at the civil hospital described his condition as ''precarious''.

The site of the blast was splattered with blood, flesh, torn clothes and belongings of the victims. A large number of iron rivets, apparently put in the bomb to cause more damage, flew out and, among others, hit a Maruti Gypsy of the Border Security Force parked at the site. BSF Lance Naik Devinder Singh suffered multiple injuries on his leg.