A powerful bomb blast in the heart of the capital of Manipur has killed 17 people and injured over 30 people on the evening of October 21, 2008. Although no outfit of the state claimed the responsibility of the blast, it is suspected that People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) had carried out the deadly operation. Report says that improvised explosive device (IED) has been used in the Imphal blast.

 

According to the police, the blast which took place around 7:30 pm near the historic Kangla Fort was targeted towards Assam Rifles personnel and police commandos. The Ragailong Gate which is the exact spot of the explosion was crowded as people had come out in large numbers to participate in Jhasi Munda, a traditional dice game played before Diwali.

 

IG (law and order) M Karnajit Singh claimed that the bomb was planted in a moped. Police said that 13 people died on the spot while four were declared brought dead by doctors at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital. The injured people were sent to RIMS and nearby Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital.