A major blast was reported near Nalagarh police station in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district on Thursday. No casualty was reported, officials said, adding that an investigation is underway to identify the cause of the explosion.
The impact of the blast that took place in a lane near the Nalagarh police station was so strong that the windows of nearby buildings -- including of an Army canteen 40 metres away from the spot -- were cracked.
Loud sound was heard up to 400-500 metres
The loud sound of it was heard from a distance of up to 400-500 metres, locals said. Even 16 mm-thick glasses broke, and everything shook, an eyewitness, who was sitting nearby, said.
Police swung into action and barricaded the area. Baddi SP Vinod Dhiman said the blast took place at around 9:40 am, and the forensic team has collected samples from different locations.
He added that the cause and chemical involved would be known after the team's report. Talking to the media persons, he said that no email or threatening call was received and prima facie, no mischief involving explosives has been discovered.
CCTV footage is being scanned
The he said. A lot of scrap was also piled up in this area, and an explosion from paint or other material is also a possibility, he said and instructed the scrap dealers not to be negligent.
Appealing to the people to report suspicious people or activity, the SP said that there is no atmosphere of panic in the area and there is "nothing to worry about".
