Chaos, anger prevail at blast site NALBARI, Nov 22 Utter chaos and confusion coupled with peoples anger prevailed at the site of the twin bomb blasts in the town which claimed seven lives and left at least 54 others injured today, reports PTI. The unsuspecting Sunday crowd in the Gopalbazar area near the police station was caught unawares as the explosions occurred.
We heard a deafening sound and saw smoke billowing out near the police station as a cycle to which the bomb was probably strapped lay mangled, said Rajesh Das, an eyewitness. The second bomb went off almost immediately as the crowd was trying to escape the spot causing more damage, he said.
Police later cordoned off the area and a PTI correspondent saw coagulated blood on the road at the blast site while about 20 damaged motorbikes and cycles were strewn around.
Locals further alleged that though the blast took place close to a police station, police did not immediately rush out to help.
Before the police could come out, locals rushed to the aid of the the injured and pulled out the bodies, said Kanak Kalita, who runs a shop nearby.
Police, on the other hand, claimed that they had immediately rushed out on hearing the blast but the chaos hampered the rescue operations.
Angry residents later spilled onto the streets shouting slogans against ULFA and the police.
The district administration later urged the residents over the public address system to remain calm and stay indoors till a thorough security check of the district was conducted as intelligence reports had indicated that there could be more attacks in the state.
Chaos prevailed at the Nalbari Civil Hospital too where the injured and the dead were rushed with doctors and nurses trying to calm the agitated people.
The doctors referred 34 of the seriously injured to Gauhati Medical College Hospital even as relatives of the patients alleged that there was considerable delay in the arrival of ambulances.
We are trying to do our best with limited staff on duty though most of those who were off duty had been asked to report immediately, said a doctor.
The bodies of the dead had been kept at the Civil Hospital and would be handed over to relatives after the post-mortem was conducted, he said. PTI
