At least 20 students, including girls, were injured when a bomb exploded inside a classroom at Ayatpur High School under Kandarpur police limits here on Monday.
The explosion occurred in Class IX at about 10.30 am, ripping the furniture in the classroom and injuring students. Around five students, including the boy, who apparently brought the bomb with him, sustained serious injuries. They were all rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Those with serious injuries are Rajesh Kumar Das, Tanvir Khan, Rakesh Dalai, Giridhar Behera and Guru Charan Sethi.
According to the school authorities, the bomb went off soon after the students entered the classroom after the prayer session and answered their roll calls. The class has around 85 students, of which 58 were present on Monday.
“The unit tests for the classes were starting today. Just as the tests were about to begin, the school building was shaken by the loud explosion. The teachers, along with the locals who had rushed to the school on hearing the blast, rescued the students and immediately sent them to the hospital”, headmistress Prativa Mohanty said.
The explosive was allegedly brought to the class by Rajesh Kumar Das of nearby Nimeisapur in his schoolbag. As he was taking out his books and notes, the bomb slipped and fell down. The 15-year-old suffered most of the impact along with others, who were in immediate vicinity.
Police said the explosive was handmade and of low intensity, used mostly by petty criminals and anti-socials. Das is learnt to have stated before the police that he had found the bomb lying on the ground on way to school. He had picked it up and put it in his bag.
Sources said it has also come to their notice that Das had brought another explosive a few days back and had demonstrated the blast by throwing it into a nearby river. It is believed that he might have come across an explosive hiding spot of criminals.
“This, however, is yet to be verified. Investigation is on to ascertain how he laid hands on the explosive”, IIC, Kandarpur police station, R Mohapatra said.