Two blasts in Assam ahead of PM's visit

Guwahati: A day ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Assam, two powerful blasts rocked Guwahati and Tezpur on Monday.

The first bomb was planted in a motorcycle at a parking area near Maligaon Chariali in Guwahati, an official said.

The second blast took place in Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district. Six people were injured when the blast ripped through a crowded marketplace.

Tezpur is also home to an important division of the Indian Army.

Seven people were killed and 32 others injured in the blast which took place at 1400 hours IST in Guwahati, police said.

Several vehicles and two-wheelers caught fire immediately after the explosion with fire-tenders arriving shortly afterwards.

One of the victims was a student of the Maligaon Primary School. The students were coming out of the school when the bomb exploded.

Two of the dead were identified as Mousum Khatun and Bhupen Kumar.

Complete chaos prevailed in the area with people protesting over repeated blasts in the city. Some protestors even attacked the police and their vehicles.

Traffic was thrown out of gear with hundreds of vehicles stranded.

Nine of the injured were admitted to nearby Sanjivani Hospital, two in the adjacent Northast Frontier Railway Headquarters hospital and the rest were sent to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

Authorities suspect the hand of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) rebels behind the blast, according to sources.

The blast site was cordoned off by the security forces suspecting that there could be more bombs.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary has spoken to Assam Chief Secretary following the blasts and has advised him to strengthen security arrangements in Guwahati and other areas.