A series of blasts at a Sunday prayer convention of the Christian denomination Jehovah’s Witnesses left one person dead and many injured near Kochi, Kerala on Sunday. The religious gathering turned into a nightmare after explosions left people screaming and running for their lives at the prayer hall.
Visuals of the aftermath of the blast showed how people were running for their lives with their children, who couldn’t stop crying as they passed through toppled burning chairs in the hall. Many people were trying to calm the victims at the centre after the attack.
After the bomb blast, a man surrendered before the Kerala Police and claimed responsibility for the attack, said Kerala ADGP (law and order) MR Ajith Kumar. The alleged accused was identified as Dominic Martin claiming that he belonged to the same group of sabha.
Kerala blast live updates
The blast took place at an international convention center in Kalamassery where hundreds of followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses had assembled on the concluding day of their three-day-long prayer meeting. The explosion occurred at around 9:40 a.m.
Also Read: Delhi, Mumbai on high alert after blasts at Kerala prayer meet; ‘no input to be taken lightly
According to the preliminary investigation, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were used to trigger the blasts. Further investigation is underway, said Kerala DGP Shaik Darvesh Saheb told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan expressed grief over the loss of life in the multiple explosions that took place in Kochi’s Kalamassery on Sunday. In the wake of the incident, security was heightened in Delhi and Mumbai on Sunday. In the national capital, police were coordinating with intelligence agencies to manage law and order in Delhi. Apart from the national capital, the Mumbai Polie issued a high alert given the explosions that took place in Kerala. Security was also beefed up keeping in view the upcoming festival season and cricket matches.
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Updated: 29 Oct 2023, 06:39 PM IST