Eight persons sustained burn injuries and multiple shops were damaged in a blast involving two scooters parked at a market in Kanpur’s Moolganj police station area. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the scooters, stationed outside a toy shop, suddenly exploded, causing panic in the crowded market, said the police. Police recovered firecracker wrappers and jute twine from the spot. “Eight persons were injured in the incident. The blast took place in the dicky of one of the scooters. The injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment,” said Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubeer Lal. The condition of two persons is reported to be critical, added Lal. The two seriously injured victims include one of the scooter owners and a woman ragpicker who was present near the blast spot, said the police. Soon after the incident, the bomb disposal squad and forensic team were rushed to the spot. Later, the forensic experts collected samples and remains from the site for examination. Police said the exact cause and motive behind the blast would be known only after the forensic report is received. According to officials, the preliminary inquiry suggests that some explosive material had been kept in the dicky of one of the scooters, which in turn triggered the explosion. Police suspect that the blast intensified after the explosive came in contact with the petrol present in the vehicle. Security personnel have been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure. All the injured are residents of Kanpur. A probe into the matter is underway, said the police.
