IMPHAL, August 14: Even as security in the state has been beefed up ahead of the 67th Independence Day celebrations tommorow with security personnel seen conducting checking and frisking at every step in the Imphal areas, an Improvised Explosive Device blast just 30 metres away from the main gate of the City Convention centre has made a mockery of all the security preparations.
The IED explosion today was preceded by another bomb explosion at the gate of the Chief Minister’s bungalow gate in daylight on August 10, which was later claimed by the Prepak (Pro).
Today’s explosion at Palace Gate was triggered off by a remote control, said the police at the explosion site.
The bomb exploded just next to the footpath about 30 metres away from the City Convention Centre main gate, towards the Konung Manag main road around 6:20pm.
The explosion left a crater one feet deep and three feet wide.
Imphal East SP, Angam Kamei Rommnus rushed to the blast site soon after receiving the news and conducted a search operation in the vicinity of the explosion site along with a large number of police personnel of the Imphal East district police.
It may be mentioned that a district police picket team is present 24 hours just about 70 meters from the blast site in clear view of the site. A district police team was also present at the said picketing area when the blast was triggered off.
All private vehicles and pedestrians were prevented to pass through the area of the blast soon after by the police.
Later, a state bomb expert team arrived at the spot and inspected the blast site.
According to the police, the explosion which was remote triggered had no splinters and as such failed to create much damage.
Clay Kongsai, Inspector General of Police Law and order also came to the blast site and inspected the area.