CHANDIGARH: An explosion took place outside the Border Security Force (BSF) Punjab Frontier Headquarters in Jalandhar Cantonment on Tuesday evening.
Sources said the incident occurred around 8 pm near BSF Chowk when Gurpreet Singh, a delivery worker with a private company, had come to deliver a parcel to a BSF personnel at the Punjab Frontier Headquarters.
As he went inside to deliver the parcel, a powerful explosion ripped through his scooter, completely destroying it. The two-wheeler caught fire and shattered window panes of a nearby building.
It is learnt that the scooter was completely burnt. Gurpreet Singh, who was returning after delivering the parcel, was injured as he was reportedly about 50 metres away. The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained, and authorities have not confirmed the reason. An investigation is underway.
Police suspect the blast may have been caused by explosives in a parcel that had not yet been delivered and was still kept in a box on the scooter. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined.
The incident triggered panic in the area. Eyewitnesses said the sound of the explosion was heard from a distance. Shopkeepers at a nearby vegetable market said it was audible up to a kilometre away.
Police and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot after being alerted and doused the flames. A senior police official said, “Around 8.15 pm, a
scooter caught fire following an explosion near BSF Chowk. The vehicle belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who has been taken into custody for questioning. Fortunately, there were no casualties.”