Tamil Nadu: Blast Near Temple Pond Kills 2, Injures 3
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New Delhi: A blast in a temple pond in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday killed two persons and injured another three. The unidentified objected was found in the pond, which was being desilted, according to police. The police also clarified that the incident is unrelated to the terror alert issued on Saturday after intelligence reports said terrorists had entered the state.
According to The Hindu, a 23-year-old man Surya died immediately after the blast, which occurred in Manampathi village. Another man, Dilip Raghavan, died on Monday morning, according to reports. The injured persons are Tirumal, Yuvaraj and Jayaram. Their injuries are serious.
The News Minute reported that a bomb squad will ascertain what kind of explosive the device was. "There was desilting work going on in the pond. They may have got the box from the pond, is what we think now. However, since the other three are injured and in hospital, we have not been able to get detailed statements from them," D. Kannan, the Kancheepuram superintendent of police told the website. The police will speak to the injured persons on Monday.
Kannan said the explosion was unrelated to the terror alert. The box may have been unearthed during the desilting work, he told The News Minute, adding that the police have not yet determined why it exploded.
The Hindu reported that the blast occurred around 3:30 pm on Sunday, at an unused temple pond belonging to the Gangai Amman Koil in Manampathi. While locals had engaged a private firm to desilt the pond, there was no work being done on Sunday. The newspaper said police were trying to ascertain why the men were in the vicinity. According to the Times of India, the men may have believed the small metal chest to be a 'treasure box'. It exploded while they were trying to open it, the newspaper said.
The blast left pockmarks on the temple walls. Reports said some parts of the object were found at the site. According to DTNext, the object may have contained fireworks that were used in a festival held at the temple recently.
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