Nine people including one foreigner were killed and 45 injured in a suspected bomb blast in the German Bakery at Koregaon Park which also houses a Jewish prayer house and the Osho Ashram here this evening. Pune Police Commissioner Satya Pal Singh said there were five women among the victims.
The blast took place at the German Bakery, an old business establishment, at around 7:15pm. Initial reports have suggested that the Indian Mujahideen is being suspected to be behind the blast.
"There was a bomb blast. There have been eight deaths and 33 people were injured", said Pune joint commissioner of police Rajendra Sonwane.
"It is a suspected bomb blast. So far, it is not confirmed. We are verifying this", he said adding "we have not arrived at any conclusion at this stage but prima facie it appears that it is a bomb blast".
A team of Anti-Terrorism Squad and bomb disposal squad visited the spot to ascertain the nature of the blast. Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said it was yet to be established as to what was the cause of the blast.
He said he had talked to the police commissioner who told him that unless they examined the evidence on the scene of the blast they cannot come to any conclusion.
Chavan made the remarks replying to a question if the blast was a terror attack. The joint commissioner said those injured in the blast were shifted to Sassoon Hospital, Udhrani Hospital and Jahangir Hospital. Asked about the presence of foreigners among the injured, he said "we are verifying this".
The Union home ministry tonight has sent an advisory to all states asking people not to touch unclaimed objects in the wake of the terror attack in Pune that killed 8 people.
The advisory has also asked people to inform their nearest police station if any suspicious objects were found, a home ministry spokesman said.
High alert in Maharashtra
A high alert has been sounded in the state following the blast in Pune, the police said. The state police has been asked to remain on "high alert", a senior police official told PTI.
At least eight people were killed and over 30 injured in the suspected bomb blast in a popular bakery in Koregaon Park which houses a Jewish prayer house and the Osho commune.
The blast took place at the German Bakery, an old business establishment, at around 1830 hours.
Identifying bodies
Indicating that there could be more foreign nationals among the dead and the injured in the German Bakery blast, Pune’s joint police commissioner Rajendra Sonwane on Saturday evening said that the nationalities of the dead persons were being identified.
“So far eight deaths have been confirmed and 32 people were injured. Indeed it looks like a bomb blast. It is suspected as bomb blast but not yet confirmed,” said Sonwane on a private channel.
“We are verifying the nationality of the injured and the killed persons in the bomb blast, said Sonwane.
"We shifted the injured to various hospitals in Pune with the help of public,” he added.
