New Delhi: A mysterious low-intensity explosion was reported near a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) school in Delhi’s Rohini area on Sunday morning, damaging the school’s wall, a senior Delhi Police officer said.
No injuries or casualties have been reported so far.
A purported video of the incident, making the rounds on social media, shows thick plumes of smoke rising from the spot where the explosion occurred.
According to a Delhi Fire Service officer, a call regarding the blast outside the wall of the CRPF school, sector 14 in Rohini, was received around 7.50 am, after which 2 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
The police, along with firemen, are still examining the place and carrying out searches in the area.
DCP (Rohini) Amit Goel said when the police reached the place of the incident, they sensed a foul smell near the damaged wall.
“The glasses of a nearby shop and car parked near the shop were found to be damaged. No one was injured,” the DCP said.
The official said a fire brigade team has been kept on standby.
Meanwhile, a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was called to inspect the area, while another team of the bomb disposal squad is also looking for fragments of any kind of explosive.
The forensic experts, who were inspecting the area outside the CRPF school, found a suspicious “white powder” from the spot and sent it to the laboratory for examination. The experts have also dug up a hole near the school’s wall and taken soil samples with them.
“Whether it is some kind of explosive or anything else can only be ascertained after we thoroughly examine it,” a senior official told TNIE.
Meanwhile, locals were panic-stricken following the blast and demanded thorough inquiry into the incident.
“We were sleeping at our houses and were awakened by a massive sound of explosion. Initially, I thought some building had collapsed, but once I came out, I saw thick clouds of smoke and a strange, foul smell had enveloped the area,” a young man said.
Rakesh Gupta, another local resident, said the smoke enveloped more than 200 meters of the road and had a “chemical-like” smell.
“It took more than 30 minutes to understand what really happened, as once the smoke went up and we regained visibility, the police or local people found out that some blast had ripped off close to the CRPF school. As for damage, glasses of several vehicles have been shattered,” he said.
