Three serial bomb blasts in Assam's Guwahati city killed six and injured more than 50 people on New Year. The blasts triggered by banned ULFA took place a few hours prior to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's visit to the city. Only two months ago, the state of Assam had experienced dreaded serial blasts that claimed 88 lives. Yesterday, one of the bombs which exploded infront of a closed sweet shop near upmarket Bhangagarh flyover on the busy Guwahati-Shillong road took the lives of three people and injured 35 others. The blast occurred at around 5:45 pm.

 

As per DGP G M Srivastava, two of the victims died on the way while another succumbed to his injuries at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. Mr Srivastava also informed that the security forces were able to chase one of the persons behind the first blast who dropped the bomb from a motorcycle but managed to escape. During his meeting with the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Chidambaram said that there were lapses in security and the security forces could not prevent the blasts despite having prior information.

 

According to official sources, the second explosion took place in the Bhootnath area, the route which Chidambaram was to take on his way from the airport, under Baralumukh police station around 5.30 pm. The blast killed two persons and injured 12 others. The bomb was concealed in a bicycle at that area.

 

The third explosion occurred when an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) kept in a Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) dustbin went off at around 3.30 pm. Three persons were injured at that area. When CM Gogoi asked External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to pressurize Bangladesh to avoid shelter of insurgents in its territory, Mukherjee assured that he will take up the matter with Sheikh Hasina who is expected to take over as Bangladesh Prime Minister soon.