HOOGHLY: The famous temple town of Tarakeswar in Hooghly district was rattled today by the sound of an explosion near the Shiva Temple.
The explosion took place at around 2.30 PM on a stretch between the temple and a nearby police station.
Some firecrackers, seized by the police, had been kept behind the police station for the last two months and these had exploded because of the sweltering heat, Superintendent of Police Praveen Tripathi said.
Former IPS officer Rachpal Singh, who is seeking re-election from Tarakeswar on a TMC ticket, disputed the SP's version on the cause of the explosion and said the police should probe it.
Assembly polls will be held in the district in the fifth phase on April 30. A woman, who came to the Shiva temple to offer puja, said, "It was a loud explosion. Dusts flew around and I thought it was an earthquake."