Crude bomb explodes on roof of Bengal school during class hours
The incident happened when the students were attending classes in the lower floors. However, nobody was injured and the building suffered no apparent damage
A crude bomb went off on the roof of a three-storied boys’ school building in the Titagarh area of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district at 11am on Saturday creating panic among the students and teachers, police said.
Around 1,000 of the total 1,300 students of the Titagarh Free India High School were attending classes in the lower floors when the incident happened. However, nobody was injured since the door to the roof always remains locked and the area is out of bounds for the students, Hanif Tanvir, one of the teachers, told the local media.
The building suffered no apparent damage. “The sound of the explosion, however, scared the students,” Tanvir added.
“It was definitely a crude bomb. We have started an investigation to find out whether the bomb was lobbed from outside or someone kept it there. The culprits will be nabbed,” said Ashish Mourya, deputy commissioner of police, Barrackpore police district.
The incident has triggered panic in the neighbourhood since Titagarh is known for violence and criminal activities. Crude bombs have been used in several political clashes during and after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
“The police have been urged to arrest all criminals and step up vigil,” said Arjun Singh, who represents the local Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency.
Singh won the seat after switching over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but returned to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in May this year after a three-year stint in the saffron camp.