2 killed, over dozen injured in Manipur blast

Two persons were Thursday killed and over a dozen others sustained injuries when a bomb suspected to be have been planted by militants exploded near a traffic point along the Indo-Myanmar section of National Highway 2 (NH-2) opposite Singjamei Supermarket, Imphal.

The blast occurred just below the Assam Rifles (AR) post located atop the Chinga Hill, a small hillock on the western site of the supermarket at around 5.20 p.m.

Police who were present at the blast site said the blast could have been caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by militants.

The police suspect the blast was aimed to target non-local labourers who used to stay at a shed on the roadside waiting for contact works.

At least 17 of the injured were rushed to different hospitals in Imphal after the blast. Among them, two non-local labourers who were rushed to RIMS succumbed to their injuries.

Among the 15 others who were injured persons, eight were admitted to RIMS hospital, five at Advance hospital and two at Iboyaima hospital.

Nine of them were non-locals who hailed from Bihar and were engaged in labour works. The deceased were identified as Shyamchand Roy (30) and Arvind Roy (20). Both were residents of Bihar's Motipur Babardweep village.

The conditions of four other non-locals admitted to RIMS hospital were stated to be in a critical condition as they suffered multiple splinter injuries on their bodies.

One of the injured persons was a woman identified as Moirangthem Manisana (55). She is a fish vendor sitting at the market-shed and sustained minor splinter injury. Some other locals who sustained minor injuries have been discharged from the hospital after medical treatment.

Soon after the blast, high ranking police officers from Imphal rushed to the spot and took stoke of the situation.

Police were seen investigating at the spot and examined the splinters recovered from the site.

Police sources pointed a militant group frequently targeting non-locals in the past behind the blast even though none of the groups so far owned up the responsibility for the same till the filing of this report.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2-killed-over-dozen-injured-in-manipur-blast/