West Bengal: blast in Jalpaiguri; 5 killed, 6 injured

Five people including a suspected Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) militant died on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town on Thursday evening when a bomb he was carrying on a bicycle exploded.

While three persons died on the spot, two succumbed to injuries at the Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital. Six persons who sustained injuries because of splinters were critical, said Dr Susanta Ray.

Shashikant Pujari, inspector general (North Bengal), said: “As of now five persons have died. The explosives were on a bicycle. They went off on the culvert over a small river.”

Jalpaiguri superintendent of police Amit Javalgi said the KLO celebrated December 26 as the martyrs’ day and December 28 as its foundation day.

The police were trying to ascertain if the attack was linked to the KLO, he added.

The bicycle was mangled.The police suspected the man was carrying the bomb to plant it at a point.

North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said the government would not tolerate such activities and they would be dealt with sternly.

Following the blast, an alert has been sounded in all the north Bengal districts.