Hazaribag Blast Kills Three: Gas Cylinder Explosion Ruled Out, Bomb Squad Investigates

Hazaribag: Three people, including a couple, were killed in a blast at Habibi Nagar area in Hazaribag on Wednesday, police said.Sadar SDPO Amit Anand said the initial information suggested it was a gas cylinder explosion, and a team was sent, but initial probe revealed it was not caused by a leaking cylinder."But its still not confirmed if it was a bomb or something else. A bomb disposal squad would arrive on Thursday to examine the site,” Anand said.The deceased were identified as Rashida Parveen (54), Mohammad Saddam (45), and his wife, Nanhi Parveen (35). Locals told the police that Nanhi and her husband were cleaning the bushes with a spade when a loud explosion killed them on the spot. Rashida sitting near by sustained severe injuries and she succumbed on way to hospital.Following information about the incident, police and administrative officials rushed to the spot. Four police station officers-in-charge, along with two deputy superintendents of police, reached the area. A sniffer dog squad and a technical team were pressed into service. The area was cordoned off and movement of civilians restricted. One body was kept at the mortuary of Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital, while two bodies remained at the site awaiting forensic examination till the time of filing this report.The same locality witnessed a deadly blast in 2016 during Ram Navami riots, when six people were killed while allegedly making crude bombs during curfew. The recurrence of a blast raised serious security concerns.Hazaribag MP Manish Jaiswal termed the blast in Habibi Nagar as extremely serious. Referring to a similar past incident, he urged the district and police administration to conduct a comprehensive and impartial probe, carry out intensive search operations, trace and neutralise illegal explosives, and ensure strict action against the culprits.