JAMMU: A red alert was sounded in the entire Jammu region in the wake of the bomb explosion on Katra Jammu bound bus, killing Tine persons and injuring 40, at Manda about nine kms from here, On Nov.28.
The Inspector General of Police, Jammu division, A.K. Suri, said that the police had been alerted throughout the region especially in the Jammu city in view of an intelligence report that several Subversives had sneaked into the region from Pakistan to create disturbances on large scale.
The police had been deployed at Pathan kot-Jammu-Rambon national highway to check the movement of antinational elements.
Nine pilgrims, including a child, ‘bound for Vaishno Deyi shrine, were killed and nearly 40 injured, 15of them seriously, when a powerful bomb exploded in a private bus on the outskirts of Jammu city, ‘On Monday evening. The bus was bound for Katra from Jammu. It had come from Billawar in Kathu a district to Jammu,
According to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, P.R.Gandotra, the bomb exploded in an overcrowded private bus (JK02B3875) near Manda forest on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway.
The ill-fated bus started from the Jammu bus stand at around 4:35 pm. and the bomb exploded at 5:05 pm. The bus was still burning when this reporter visited the spot ‘at 5:35 pm. Senior police and civil officials, including P:R. Gandotra rushed to the spot to supervise rescue operations. Fire brigade were called to extinguish the fire.
Seven charred bodies of the passengers were taken out from the bus. They were beyond recognition, Ashok Kumar, a passenger who was travelling in the bus, said that suddenly a blast took place at around 5 pm when the bus reached near Manda forest. He said that when he regained consciousness, the bus was burning and the injured were trying to get out of it. Ashok Kumar, who was sitting on the rear seat, said that the blast ‘occurred in the front half of the bus. According to him the bus was loaded with about 65 passengers. He said that the injured were taken to the Medical College Hospital in a truck. A large number of people had reached at the sight of the incident from Jammu city. Thousands of people had also gathered at the Jammu Medical College where the injured were admitted. A child was succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The condition of at least 10 injured was stated to be critical. According to police, the bomb was possibly planted near the diesel tank of the bus which caused the fire after the blast. The possibility of a magnetic device used to plant the explosives, was not ruled out.
Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of the Katra Vaishno devi has decided to observe a one day strike on Tuesday in protest.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 2, 1994
