Ludhiana: A bomb blast rocked the Ludhiana Court Complex which killed two people and injured four in Punjab on 23 December.
The explosion occurred at around 12:22 pm in a washroom on the second floor of the District and Sessions court complex in Ludhiana according to the police.
The police have sealed the area and fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Rescue operations are underway and a police official has said that an investigation has been launched into the matter.
A high alert has been issued across Punjab and the police have been ordered to beef up security at public places.
A crowd gathered outside the court complex after they heard the sound of the explosion. Fumes can be seen coming out of the six-storey building.
Only a few people were present in the court complex during the time of the blast due to a lawyer's strike on the same day.
The bathroom walls were destroyed and the window glass also got shattered due to the impact of the blast. The reason behind this bomb blast is yet to be discovered and no one has claimed responsibility as of now.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has said that he will be on his way to Ludhiana and would soon reach there.
"There has been a blast in Ludhiana. I have quickly wrapped up a meeting and will now be going to Ludhiana," Charanjit Singh Channi said.
He also said that some anti-national elements could be behind this blast and added that the guilty will not be spared.
He further added that the Punjab government have been put on high alert. The government will also ensure that no such incidents will take place in the future.
"The chief minister and I are on way to Ludhiana to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of the tragic incident," Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said.
Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu took to his official Koo account to condemn this incident.
A team from the National Bomb Data Center was immediately rushed to the spot and a two-member team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will visit the site of the blast in Ludhiana.
The National Security Guard (NSG) will also send a team to probe the matter.
This incident comes in the backdrop of upcoming Punjab Assembly Elections which is slated to be held on February 2022.
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