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One injured in explosion in East Jaintia Hills

By Staff Correspondent

SHILLONG, Dec 13 - One person was injured in an explosion at the residential quarters of a cement plant at Lumshnong in East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya on Saturday evening.

The explosion occurred at around 8.40 pm in the residential quarters for the workers of a cement plant at Krishna Colony lane 3.

�A worker of Star Cement received minor injuries and two rooms were partially damaged in the explosion,� Superintendent of Police, East Jaintia Hills, Deepak Kumar Palecha said over the phone.

Palecha said the matter is being investigated by the police and a bomb disposal and dog squad have been called from the State capital to take the investigation forward. A detailed report would be submitted by the forensic team after the investigation, the SP said.

A shop was damaged in a similar explosion at Soo Kilo market in the district last month. Explosive materials used in blasting during mining operation were used in that explosion. Nobody was injured in that blast, but the banned HNLC claimed responsibility for it.

Palecha said the explosives used in the Saturday�s blast were similar to those used in the last month�s blast.

Earlier this month, the district police had seized a large cache of explosives and arrested six persons for smuggling the explosive out of the district. In all 1,525 kg of explosives (gelatin sticks, live detonators and rolls of fuse wires) were seized from a storehouse and a vehicle.

Palecha informed that a request has been sent to the Deputy Commissioner of the district to set up a committee to examine the stock of the license holders who procure such explosives for mining purposes.

�We would be examining the stock and the registers of the license holders to find out if there was any leakage from them. We have also asked for the list of such license holders so that we can investigate the matter,� he said.

The SP said the police would take strict action against those responsible for the blast and also against those who are found to be illegally diverting explosives to open market.

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