Ragpicker injured in Kolkata explosion, bomb disposal squad secures area

Following an incident at 1:45 pm, the officer in charge of central Kolkata’s Taltala police station went to the spot to check. The explosion had blown off several fingers of a ragpicker who has since been admitted to a hospital. A gunny bag was found at the entry point of Blochmann Street, prompting the police to seal the area and call the bomb disposal squad.

Following their inspection, the bomb squad cleared the area for traffic. The ragpicker, identified as Bapi Das, 58, told the police he used to roam around the area and had recently started sleeping on a pavement on SN Banerjee Road. However, his statement is yet to be recorded as he is undergoing treatment.

A forensic check of the area is set to follow.