A ragpicker was killed in Hyderabad on Sunday after a bag that he tried to open, exploded on the street, triggering mild panic. The man identified as 35-year-old Ali sustained critical injuries in the blast that occurred in Rajendranagar. He later succumbed at the government-run Osmania Hospital.
The explosion on a footpath near pillar number 279 of the PVNR Expressway, which leads to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), triggered panic, resulting in the police swiftly stepping into action and cordoning off the area.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar visited the blast scene. He told reporters that it was suspected to be a chemical explosion.
"We are probing it from all angles. We are trying to find out details like where the man found the bag," he said.
A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has collected samples from the scene of the explosion for analysis. Officials of anti-terror unit Organisation for Counter-Terrorist Operations (Octopus) also visited the area. Bomb and dog squads too rushed to the scene.
Shamshabad DCP N Prakash Reddy told reporters that the incident happened when Ali opened his bag, to sort through the items that he had picked up. The senior police officer also said that there was no reason to panic and appealed to the public to remain calm.
The police said they were scanning the footage from CCTVs in the area to ascertain as to where the ragpicker found the bag. Further details are expected to be revealed soon.
IANS inputs