Terror strikes temple city of Varanasi; 12 killed in serial blast

At least 12 people were killed and several others injured when two separate explosions went off near Sankatmochan temple and railway station in Varanasi, according to Home Ministry sources.

The first explosion took place outside the temple at around 5 pm when a large number of devotees were present at the peak evening aarti time as it was Tuesday, believed to be a special day for lord hanuman.

Four people died in the explosion and several others were injured.

Minutes later another blast took place outside the room of the stationmaster of the cantonment railway station. Several causalities were feared in the explosion, officials said.

The injured have been rushed to various hospitals, the sources said.

The blast at the temple set out panic and a near-stampede situation as devotees scrambled to rush out to safety and workers ferried bleeding injured persons, including several old women, to the hospital.

Rescue workers struggled in narrow lanes and by-lanes to bring out the injured from the incident site.

The wailing of ambulance and fire brigade sirens drowned the chiming of the temple bells of the evening hour of this temple town.

Director General of Railway Protection Force A K Suri told the media that there was a blast at the holding area of the platform at Varansi railway station.

About the causality figure, he said preliminary reports said that more than dozen people were injured.

More details were being awaited, he added

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