HYDERABAD: A powerful crude bomb exploded during Friday prayers at the historic Mecca mosque in Hyderabad on Friday, killing five persons and injuring 30 others, including two children, and officials said the attack appeared to have a terror link.
Two live bombs were also detected from the spot soon after the explosions and were defused.
The bomb exploded when thousands of people were gathered in the mosque for Friday prayers, DCP, South Zone, Kanta Rao, said.
The injured, some of them bleeding profusely, were rushed to Osmania and other hospitals by the worshippers in whatever modes of transport they could arrange. Police said the death toll could rise. "Four of them are in a serious condition," Dr Sreenivas of the hospital said.
The explosion created such a panic that those gathered for the prayers started running towards the exit gate of the mosque, said to be over 300 years old and considered sacred by Muslims in and outside the state.
A large posse of police personnel, who arrived on the scene, faced an angry crowd, who pelted stones at them and the shops in the vicinity. Police resorted to lathicharge to
disperse the crowd.
State Home Minister K Jana Reddy was also stopped from entering the mosque by a crowd that shut its huge green wooden doors on his face. Only after some persuasion by him and officials was he allowed to make an on-the-spot inspection.
Chief Minister, Rajashekhar Reddy, who rushed back to Hyderabad from Delhi, said five people have died and 7-8 others were injured in the explosion.
He said only one bomb exploded while two other live bombs were defused on the spot.The situation, he said, was under control.
Some people pelted stones at shops and vehicles after the explosion. Police used water cannon to disperse angry crowds, witnesses said.
Police were yet to identify the people who could have been behind the blast.
Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed to maintain law and order in the communally-sensitive area, where shops and other establishments immediately downed their shutters.
Forensic experts have rushed to the spot to assess the nature of the blast.
Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta spoke to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary.
Reddy talked to the DGP Basith and other senior state government officials and took stock of the situation.
Home Minister Jana Reddy said that police reinforcements are being sent to the area and the situation would be brought under control.
An eyewitness said more than ten people were injured.
Two live bombs were also detected from the spot soon after the explosions and were defused.
The bomb exploded when thousands of people were gathered in the mosque for Friday prayers, DCP, South Zone, Kanta Rao, said.
The injured, some of them bleeding profusely, were rushed to Osmania and other hospitals by the worshippers in whatever modes of transport they could arrange. Police said the death toll could rise. "Four of them are in a serious condition," Dr Sreenivas of the hospital said.
The explosion created such a panic that those gathered for the prayers started running towards the exit gate of the mosque, said to be over 300 years old and considered sacred by Muslims in and outside the state.
A large posse of police personnel, who arrived on the scene, faced an angry crowd, who pelted stones at them and the shops in the vicinity. Police resorted to lathicharge to
disperse the crowd.
State Home Minister K Jana Reddy was also stopped from entering the mosque by a crowd that shut its huge green wooden doors on his face. Only after some persuasion by him and officials was he allowed to make an on-the-spot inspection.
Chief Minister, Rajashekhar Reddy, who rushed back to Hyderabad from Delhi, said five people have died and 7-8 others were injured in the explosion.
He said only one bomb exploded while two other live bombs were defused on the spot.The situation, he said, was under control.
Some people pelted stones at shops and vehicles after the explosion. Police used water cannon to disperse angry crowds, witnesses said.
Police were yet to identify the people who could have been behind the blast.
Rapid Action Force (RAF) has been deployed to maintain law and order in the communally-sensitive area, where shops and other establishments immediately downed their shutters.
Forensic experts have rushed to the spot to assess the nature of the blast.
Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta spoke to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary.
Reddy talked to the DGP Basith and other senior state government officials and took stock of the situation.
Home Minister Jana Reddy said that police reinforcements are being sent to the area and the situation would be brought under control.
An eyewitness said more than ten people were injured.
