Varanasi Serial Blast

7 March 2006

Serial blasts in India can be said as the worst thing which has affected the country in recent past, March 7, 2006 blast in Varanasi can be said as the real begnning which has no ends. This time targeting the holy city of Varanasi. On a busy Tuesday evening of 7 March 2006, devotees had gathered (more in number as it was a Tuesday) as usual for the evening aarti in the Sankatmochan Temple in Varanasi.

At 6:15 pm a bomb blast inside the temple premises changed the scenario completely. The area was covered with human blood and flesh. The injured were rushed to the nearby hospitals. The blast resulted in panic and near stampede situation. The bomb was kept in the pressure cooker cartoon.

Minutes later, at the Varanasi Railway Station in the Cantonment Area another blast shook the city. It exploded on platform number 1 when the Delhi bound train Shivganga Express was stationary.

A third bomb exploded on a running train at Lohata Railway Station at 8:30 pm, 25 km away from Varanasi.

Four more bombs were recovered at Dashaswamedh Ghat, 2 km away from the Sankatmochan Temple. But they were diffused in time. Initial investigations indicated that high density plastic bombs have been used in triggering the blast. The modus operandi of the blasts were similar to the Delhi blasts. As safety measure, red alert was sounded in Uttar Pradesh and in the various parts of the country. This was the second major terrorist strike in Uttar Pradesh in less than one year. The UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh, Rs.1 lakh and Rs. 50,000 to those killed, seriously injured and with minor injury respectively.