9 killed, 45 hurt in powerful blast at popular eatery in Pune

The scene at the site of the blast in Pune on February 13, 2010.

At least nine people were killed and 45 others suffered injuries in a powerful bomb blast that occurred at "German Bakery", a popular eatery at Koregaon Park in Pune, Maharashtra, tonight, official sources said.

Pune Police Commisioner Satyapal Singh told mediapersons late tonight that five of those killed were women.

Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told reporters in New Delhi that the blast occurred around 7.30 pm in the restaurant that is frequented by foreigners and youngsters.

He said that, according to information received from the Maharashtra police and the Intelligence Bureau, it appeared that an unattended package was noticed by one of the waiters at the bakery and the blast took place when he tried to open the packet.

He said teams from the State police, the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad and forensic experts from the State Government had already reached the spot and were conducting investigations.

Mr Pillai said a team of forensic experts from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was being air-lifted to assist the State police in the investigations.

Other officials told NetIndian that a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also being flown to Pune to join the investigations.

Mr Pillai said at least one of those killed was a foreigner. He said some of the injured could also be foreigners, but details, including their nationalities, were not immediately available.

The Home Secretary also pointed out that the famous Osho Ashram, located about 200 metres from the scene of the blast, was one of the sites surveyed by suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Headley during one of his various visits to India.

He said an alert in this regard had been sent to the Maharashtra Government and the Pune Police on October 12, 2009.

Headley, a US national of Pakistani origin, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, also believed to be an LeT operative, were arrested by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from Chicago in October for allegedly conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks in Denmark and India. Subsequent investigations have led the authorities to believe that they were involved in the conspiracy to carry out the November 26, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, in which 166 people lost their lives.

The Union Government set up the NIA after the 26/11 attacks to investigate and prosecute offences affecting the sovereignty, integrity and security of India. The agency is aimed at speeding up investigations into terrorist attacks and other major crimes with inter-state ramifications.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who was in Tamil Nadu, told reporters that he was distressed by the what had happened.

"All the information available to us points to a deliberate plot to explode a device in a place frequented by foreigners and Indians," he said.

He also noted that this was the first significant terrorist incident in the country after the 26/11 attacks. It is likely that Mr Chidambaram will visit Pune tomorrow.

Mr Chidambaram also appealed to the people to maintain calm and to the media not to indulge in speculation. He promised the media that there would be regular official statements on the incident.

Initial reports suggested that today's blast was caused by a cooking gas (LPG) cylinder explosion in the bakery. But Joint Commissioner of Police Rajendra Sonawane told reporters on the spot that it was suspected to be a bomb blast, adding that this could not be confirmed immediately.

Later, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan told television channels said it was difficult to ascertain the cause of the blast at this stage. He said he was in touch with the Police Commissioner in Pune and, from what he had gathered, preliminary invstigations had indicated that the gas cylinders in the bakery appeared to be intact.

Mr Pillai said that, following the blast the Maharashtra Government had alerted all district headquarters to be on guard. He said the Centre had similarly placed all the States in India on alert.

He also advised all citizens not to approach or open any unattended packages or bags anywhere and report the matter to the nearest police station or control room if they noticed any such bag or packet.

Mr U K Bansal, Special Secreretary (Internal Security) in the Union Ministry, told television channels that eight people were killed and about 40 injured in the blast. He said four of those killed were foreigners.

He said the authorities did not have any specific intelligence inputs about the possibility of a terrorist attack in Pune or thereabouts.

"It is a big blast. It appears, on the face of it, a bomb attack...a terrorist attack," he said.

The explosion took place at a time when the bakery and the area was crowded with people at the weekend. The injured included many passers-by.

People in the area immediately started rushing the victims to nearby hospitals, including the Sassoon Hospital.

Police, fire tenders and ambulances immediately rushed to the spot and the area was cordoned off. Investigators and forensic experts from the police, including the Anti-Terrorist Squad, had also rushed to the spot and were trying to gather as much evidence as possible. Sniffer dogs were also pressed into service.

The blast caused extensive damage to the bakery, including its walls, furniture and other fixtures. Broken glass, furniture and fixtures lay littered on the street outside. At the hospitals, the doctors and paramedical staff were hard pressed to cope with the sudden rush of injured people.

In Pune, Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band said at least 35 injured people were admitted to various hospitals in the city. He said the situation in the city was under control.

This is the first major terror attack in India since the 26/11 assaults, which India has blamed on elements based in Pakistan.

India had called off the composite dialogue process with Pakistan after that attack, insisting that those responsible be brought to book and that terror groups operating against India from Pakistani territory be dismantled.

Late last month, India offered to host a meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries, which is now scheduled to take place here on February 25. The Indian offer of talks took into account the steps that Pakistani authorities had taken in recent weeks in connection with the 26/11 cases.

However, the move to hold talks with Pakistan has also invited criticism from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which insists that there should be no dialogue until Pakistan delivered fully on its promises to eliminate terror groups operating against India from its soil.

Today's incident will be seen as a setback to the efforts by the Government to break the ice with Pakistan.

In Mumbai, Chief Minister Chavan told a press conference that the State Government had stepped up security at all the places known to have been surveyed by Headley during his visits to Mumbai and Pune.

Apart from the Osho Ashram, the bakery in which the blast took place was also close to a Jewish Chabad House.

Mr Chavan said no group had claimed responsibility for the blast so far and it was too early to say who was responsible for the attack.

He announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 100,000 to the next of kin of those killed in the blast and Rs 50,000 to each of those seriously injured.

Ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi rang up Mr Chavan tonight to enquire about the situation, sources added.

NNN