A blast occurred on Saturday at the crossing of Blochmann Street and S N Banerjee Road in Central Kolkata, injuring a 58-year-old rag picker named Bapi Das. Das, who lives on the footpath on S N Banerjee Road, suffered an injury to his right wrist. Upon arriving at the scene, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Taltala learned that the injured had been transported to NRS Hospital for treatment.

According to sources, Taltala Police Station was informed about the incident, which occurred around 13:45 hours. A plastic gunny bag was found at the entrance of Blochmann Street. The area was immediately cordoned off with security tape, and BDDS personnel were called in to assess it. BDDS personnel came in, observed the bag and the surroundings, and after clearance, traffic was allowed to move.

A person claiming to have witnessed the incident told ANI, “We were standing nearby when the explosion took place. We immediately ran to the spot and saw that one person who was a rag picker was lying by. The person sustained an injury on his right wrist. The sound of the explosion was very loud. Police immediately reached here and took the injured to the hospital. The traffic was blocked. No one else was injured.”

Bapi Das, a man without a proper profession, and who was living on the footpath since a few days, is now receiving medical treatment. His statement is yet to be recorded as he is undergoing treatment in the hospital. Forensic teams along with police are trying to determine the cause and the nature of the blast.

Image source: ToI