Hours after there were reports of two low-intensity blasts in Agra early on Saturday morning, city police officials declared that preliminary investigations seem to indicate only one of the two was a “crude bomb blast”. Officials clarified that the other blast seemed to actually be a “tyre blast”.
While the investigation was still going on, senior police officials categorically denied any terror angle to the explosions. No injury or loss of life was reported.
According to officials, loud sounds were heard at 6.45 a.m. near the Agra Cantonment Railway Station.
“While the first loud sound was reported when a garbage dump was being cleared, the other one happened in a house in the nearby slum,” said a police official. The reported blast took place a day after a note threatening a terror attack was found near the Bhandai Railway Station in Agra.
The Divisional Railway Manager of Agra, Prabhash Kumar, told the media that the U.P. police was investigating with officials of the local forensic department at the spot. “What seemed to be two loud sounds were heard early in the morning near the Agra Cantt. Railway Station. The causes of the apparent blasts are not yet known. But the U.P. police has initiated the investigation with a forensic team on the spot,” Mr. Kumar told the media.
‘Forensic report awaited’
Police officials told The Hindu that the local residents saw smoke in the air after the blasts for about fifteen minutes.
“We are still waiting for the forensic report but there is no evidence to indicate a terror angle to it,” a senior police official told The Hindu on phone from Agra.
Security for the Taj Mahal was stepped up on Friday after a link threatening possible terror strikes on the monument was circulated on social media.
