At least 26 students were injured in a mysterious blast that occurred inside a classroom of a private institution in Kakpora area of southern Pulwama district on Wednesday.
A police official told Greater Kashmir that the “powerful” blast at Madrasa Falah-i-Milat in Narbal village took place at around 2.30pm when students were receiving tuitions amid ongoing winter break in schools.
“We had just finished with our English class when a sudden blast took place inside our classroom, leaving many students injured,” said one of the injured students, who wished not to be named.
A local resident said he heard a loud blast and ran towards the school following screams of students emanating from there.
“I saw all children there lying in a pool of blood,” he said.
The injured were immediately evacuated to local hospitals in Pulwama district.
An official said 26 injured were received at three health facilities, including Kakpora, Pulwama and Pampore.
“Of these, 14 were referred to general specialty SMHS hospital and Bone and Joints hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment,” he said.
He said most of the victims had injuries in their lower limbs and below.
While the cause of the blast wasn’t immediately known, the Pulwama police chief Chandan Kohli said they have registered a case and started investigations.
In a statement, a police spokesman said: “Police officers have reached the spot and are ascertaining the nature and circumstances of the blast. A case has been registered and the investigation is in progress”.
Meanwhile, Governor Satya Pal Malik deeply regretted the unfortunate incident of an explosion at a school in Pulwama in which many students were injured, a Raj Bhavan spokesman said in a statement.
“The Governor has prayed for speedy recovery of all the children and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 for all those injured. He has directed the divisional commissioner Kashmir to ensure the best possible medical treatment to injured children,” the statement read.