At least three people were killed and several injured in an explosion at a prayer hall in Amritsar’s Rajasansi village.
The blast is said to have occurred at a congregation of the Nirankari, a spiritual organisation, in Adliwal village of Amritsar, deputy commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha told news agency ANI.
According to reports, 10 injured have been taken to the hospital. The police have not ruled out any terror angle to the blast. Four out of the injured are said to be in a critical condition.
According to media reports, Two men on a motorcycle whose faces were covered threw a grenade near the Nirankari Bhawan, where a religious ceremony was on at the time. They also entered the complex and started firing and then lobbed explosives at the crowd, eyewitnesses said.
“My condolences are with the families of those who lost their lives in this incident. It is an attempt to disturb peace in Punjab. All the security agencies are on high alert and coordinating with each other to maintain peace,” Sunil Jakhar, Punjab Congress chief told ANI.
According to reports, every Sunday, thousands of devotees gather at the hall to offer prayers, kirtan. The incident happened at the site which is located just eight kilometres from the Amritsar airport.
The Punjab police said, “We are analysing the CCTV footage and looking for clues to identify the attackers.”
More details are awaited.
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