Direct link to scholarships offered by  Govt. of India

List of Private NGOs offering scholarships

Ibn Rushd: (Averroes)

Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd, better known in the Latin West as

Ummid Assistant

Gandhi Fellowship for Nation Building

Welcome Guest! You are here: Home » National

Girl killed, over 20 injured in Varanasi blast

Tuesday December 07, 2010 09:53:21 PM, IANS

Related Article

5 injured in 'low-intensity' Varanasi blast

Around five people were injured in a "low intensity" blast in this temple town during the evening Ganga aarti ritual, a police officer said.   »

Maintain calm, peace, appeals PM after Varanasi blast

Varanasi: A girl child was killed and more than 20 people, including a few foreigners, were injured when a bomb exploded on the banks of the Ganga during Tuesday evening's 'maha aarti' watched by hundreds and sparked off a stampede, authorities and witnesses said.

Swastika Sharma succumbed to multiple splinter injuries and was declared dead by doctors following the deafening blast on the cemented steps leading to the holy river at the crowded Dashashwamedh Ghat between 6.15 and 6.30 p.m.

A doctor said the girl was two years old.

As security forces went on high alert all across the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh denounced the bombing and appealed for peace and calm. The Bharatiya Janata Party also condemned the terror attack.

Police officials said an explosive device had apparently been concealed in a crevice on the steps where hundreds of men and women were seated.

As several people fell down bleeding and injured, others desperately tried to escape, triggering a stampede that injured more people.

"It was such a powerful blast that we did not even know what had happened," said Aveek Kumar Jain, who was at the ghat. "Nobody knew what had happened, whether it was a gas cylinder or a bomb."

Jain said he saw one foreigner injured in the leg.

A man who suffered head wounds told reporters in the hospital that a nearby wall collapsed because of the impact of the blast.

"I was telling my wife to see the river when this massive blast took place," he said.

Home Secretary G.K. Pillai in New Delhi initially called it a "low intensity blast", but in no time Uttar Pradesh Police officers classified it as a "medium intensity" explosion.

Pillai said the explosion injured four to five people and the "small stampede" that followed left another 15-20 people injured.

"It is too early to say what caused the explosion. We have issued a general alert to all states and told them to be on high alert," he said.

Blood was splattered at the site of the blast. Devotees fled from there, leaving behind their belongings. Women wailed in pain and panic, and police officers who rushed to the site desperately tried to bring calm.

Policemen and civilians rushed the injured to the nearest government hospital.

Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Home) U.K. Bansal said that "one or two foreigners" were among the injured.

Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal said they would "work out the case" soon.

"The blast took place when hundreds of people had gathered at the Shitla ghat," he said.

"It will be premature to make any comment on the nature of the blast. The blast was big enough to cause damage as well as panic and commotion in the entire area," he said.

Varanasi, about 300 km from Lucknow, is one of the holiest Hindu sites. Twin blasts in the city March 7, 2006 killed 20 people and injured around 100.

Tuesday's blast took place a day after the 18th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya.


 

 

 

 

  Bookmark and Share                                          Home | Top of the Page

Comment on this article

Name:
E-mail Address:
Write here...

News Pick

Convicted IAS officer held high posts under different regimes

Former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Neera Yadav, who was Tuesday convicted by a special CBI court and arrested in a corruption case, enjoyed positions of prominence under different governments. The »

Contribution of Muslims in the field of Science and Technology Part - 3:

Ibn Rushd: (Averroes) - (1126—1198) - Great Philosopher

Ibn Sina was born in 980 C.E. in the village of Afshana near Bukhara which today is located in the far south of Russia   »

New medical college in Himachal to open in 2012

An upcoming Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical college and hospital in Himachal Pradesh would start its admission process in 2012, a minister said here Tuesday. "The ESIC medical  »

Unwed parents wrecking families, says British study

Nearly half of children born today in Britain will be living in broken homes by the age of 16 as growing numbers of families split up. The sharp increase in unmarried couples having children was to blame for the rise in parental separation rates,   »

India will create 58 mn more jobs by 2012: Labour Minister

Labour Minister Harish Rawat says the government is confident of creating 58 million additional jobs by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan  »

Russia needs university to teach about Islam: official

Russia should open a secular university to train teachers and experts on Islam, a top official has said. Alexander Khloponin, Kremlin's envoy to the North Caucasus region, Monday said: "We need this  »

More Headlines

Maintain calm, peace, appeals PM after Varanasi blast

'Releases will go on despite Assange arrest'

5 injured in 'low-intensity' Varanasi blast

Ibn Rushd: (Averroes) - (1126—1198) - Great Philosopher

Convicted IAS officer held high posts under different regimes

New medical college in Himachal to open in 2012

Unwed parents wrecking families, says British study

WikiLeaks founder Assange arrested by British police

A village head now, he begs to differ

Rights group calls for end to caning in Malaysia

Chinese women artists in India with mega showcase

Over 56,000 students to get Minority Scholarships in Madhya Pradesh

India will create 58 mn more jobs by 2012: Labour Minister

 

 

 

Top Stories

'Security, economic issues major concern for GCC'

Security and economic issues are of major concern to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a leading daily said Tuesday, hoping    »

'GCC summit an opportunity to relaunch itself in Arab world'

UAE seeks unified currency for GCC

US dollar is still the best choice: UAE Central Bank governor

 

Picture of the Day

President MRs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and other dignitaries after paying tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas, in New Delhi on December 06, 2010.

(Photo: Viney Bhushan)

 

  Most Read

WikiLeaks founder Assange arrested by British police

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested Tuesday by British police in connection with sexual assault  »

'Releases will go on despite Assange arrest'

5 injured in 'low-intensity' Varanasi blast

Around five people were injured in a "low intensity" blast in this temple town during the evening Ganga aarti ritual, a police officer said.   »

Maintain calm, peace, appeals PM after Varanasi blast

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

RSS  |  Contact us

| Quick links

News

 

Subscribe to

Ummid Assistant

 

National

Religion

RSS

Scholarships

About us

International

Culture

Twitter

Government Schemes

Feedback

Regional

History

Facebook

Education

Register

Politics

Opinion

Newsletter

 

Contact us

Business

Career

     

Education

       

 

 

Ummid.com: Disclaimer | Terms of Use | Advertise with us | Link Exchange

Ummid.com is part of the Awaz Multimedia & Publications providing World News, News Analysis and Feature Articles on Education, Health. Politics, Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Industry etc. The articles or the views displayed on this website are for public information and in no way describe the editorial views. The users are entitled to use this site subject to the terms and conditions mentioned.

© 2010 Awaz Multimedia & Publications. All rights reserved.