Six kids injured in health post blast

ITAHARI: Six children were injured when a bomb went off at the gate of a health post at Belgachhiya-7, Ramgunj, in Sunsari this morning, police said.

The injured have been identified as Bikram Poddhar (10), Bimal Poddhar (7), Amita Rajbhar (13), Manish Shah (10), Pintu Yadav (8) and Roshan Mahato (13). All the injured are undergoing treatment in the Koshi Zonal Hospital, Biratnagar.

A person, identifying himself as Tuphan Singh, a senior leader of the Janatantrik Madhes Mukti Tiger (Tarai) outfit, has claimed responsibility for placing the bomb at the health post.

According to Netra Baruwal, inspector at the Area Police Office, Duhabi, the injured children are out of danger.

According to witnesses, the bomb, wrapped in a plastic bag was kept inside a tin box at the gate of the health post.

The children had reached the health post gate at 9:30 in the morning and one of them picked up the box to see what it contained.

The child immediately threw the box away as it was hot, police said. The bomb exploded as soon as the child threw it away.

The police have recovered a pamphlet of the JMMT (Tarai) from the scene of the incident. The pamphlet contained the name of Bishal Singh, the military-commander of the outfit in Sunsari, written on it.

In telephone calls made to journalists, Tuphan Singh said his group had kept the bomb there as there had been rampant corruption in the health post.

The police have not arrested anyone, despite an extensive search in the areas.