JORHAT, Jan 21 - In the run-up to Republic Day celebrations, a huge explosion along the historic Dhodar Ali near Sapekhati Chariali in Charaideo district late on Monday night has caused sensation in the area.
There have been no report of any casualties, but the blast caused a crater. Police and Army personnel rushed to the site of the incident and initiated investigation. Later, the Army brought a sniffer dog to the site to assist the probe. Officials from the Army�s Engineering unit too inspected the site.
Local people told police that they heard a deafening sound last night after which they came out and saw the crater.
A senior police official said that the blast, which happened near a battery shop at around 11.40 PM created a crater. The official, however, said that from preliminary investigation no evidence of extremist hand or any other angle has been found.
The official said that no trace of explosives, nor splinters from the spot were found during the investigation so far. He said that prima facie investigation indicates that the site of the blast was used to dump battery waste and garbage.
�As some people reportedly set fire to the garbage on Monday evening, it could have led to the explosion,� the official stated.
The official said that police had collected soil sample from the spot to be sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Guwahati for examination.
Charaideo district, which share boundaries with Nagaland and also Arunachal Pradesh, had during the heydays of undivided ULFA witnessed a lot of subversive activities with the extremist outfit reportedly operating from across the borders by taking advantage of the rough terrain and remoteness of the area.
