Two hurt in Ratna Park blasts

Kathmandu, May 27:

Two persons were injured when two socket bombs went off inside the Shanti Batika at Ratna Park this afternoon.

Those injured have been identified as Man Bahadur Raut of Koteshwor and Kapil Raj Pandey of Gongabu, according to the police. They are undergoing treatment in Bir Hospital.

A peanut vendor Harish Babu, who was at the place when the bombs exploded, said that a young man suddenly warned people against going near something in the park.

Babu quoted the man as saying: “Don’t go there. There’s a bomb.”

No one paid heed to the warning even though people saw smoke coming out of two bags in the park and there were explosions some 10 minutes later, Babu said.

In Tundikhel, police defused a pipe-bomb at around 7.00 pm, SP Sarbendra Khanal at the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, said.

The police said Ranabir Sena claimed responsibility for the blasts in the pamphlets thrown at the explosion site.