A tragic incident unfolded in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Monday as a seven-year-old boy lost his life in a suspected crude bomb blast. Two other minor boys sustained severe injuries in the blast that rocked Pandua, with the injured currently receiving treatment in a local hospital.
According to sources briefed by India Today TV, the blast occurred in Pandua's Netajipalli Colony while a group of children were playing beside a pond. Suddenly, a loud noise reverberated through the area, prompting residents to rush to the scene where they discovered several children unconscious.
The three boys affected by the explosion were swiftly transported to Pandua Hospital. Tragically, one of them was declared brought dead upon arrival.
Given the critical condition of the two surviving victims, they were subsequently referred to Chunchura Imambara Hospital for further medical attention.
The Hooghly Rural Police have initiated an investigation into the incident, probing the circumstances surrounding the blast.
The timing of the tragic event coincided with scheduled political activities in the region. Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee had planned an election rally in support of party candidate Rachna Banerjee from the Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency in Pandua on the same day.
In response to the blast, local BJP MP Locket Chatterjee leveled accusations against the Trinamool Congress, alleging the ruling party's involvement in the incident. Chatterjee asserted that the blast was a manifestation of fear-mongering politics orchestrated by the state's ruling party ahead of Abhishek Banerjee's scheduled rally in Pandua.
The blast incident occurred just a day ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, with four constituencies in the state poised to head to the polls on Tuesday.