Terrorists strike in Hindu town; temple, railway station bombed in Varanasi
Dated 7/3/2006
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Varanasi: A series of high intensity blasts have rocked Varanasi on Tuesday. The blasts occurred at 1830 hours IST and 10-12 people are feared dead.
The first blast occurred in Sankat Mochan temple near the Benaras Hindu University while the other one was at the railway station.
The injured have been taken to a nearby government hospital which is located near the railway station.
Police had maintained that it was a cylinder blast. But sources have told CNN-IBN that Lashkar-e-Toiba are behind the blasts.
Security has been beefed up in all temples in the Capital and a high alert has been declared in north India.
The blast occured during the evening aarti when the maximum number of devotees are present in the temple.
This temple is the centre of religious pilgrimage in North India and thousands of devotees throng the Sankat Mochan temple every Tuesday.
No damage to temple idols or structures has been reported so far.
Two live bombs have been seized from the temple complex and the police is in the process of diffusing them.
The police said that sophisticated explosive devices were used in both the blasts.
The Home Ministry has called for an emergency meeting and high alert has been declared in Maharashtra, Bihar and Delhi.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for the relatives of the dead and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.
Sankat Mochan temple is dedicated to the lord Hanuman. The name Sankat Mochan means "liberator from troubles". It is one of the oldest temples in the city.
