Blast near Delhi High Court, 9 Dead

New Delhi: Several people were injured in a blast this morning outside one of the entry gates to the Delhi High Court complex crowded with visitors seeking entry into the premises. The explosion occurred outside gate No.5 where 100 to 200 people were waiting in queue to get passes for entry into the court complex. The nature and magnitude of the blast was immediately not known. According to officials, nine people have been confirmed to be dead and 24 persons have been injured in the loud explosion which occurred at around 1015 am and some of them may be in a critical condition. There was no official information on the exact number of injured. The bomb was apparently kept in a brief case, says the official. Some of the injured were being treated at a dispensary in the court itself while others were rushed to nearby Ram Manohar Lohia and Safdurjung hospital. Court business is usually heavy on Wednesday which is listed as a Public Interest Litation(PIL) day when the visitors come to the court in large numbers. The blast site has been cordoned off by the Delhi Police. A similar, however, low intensity blast had occurred on May 25 this year outside gate No. 7 of the court where no one was injured. Ambulances and fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The blast area has been cordoned off and police have asked people to clear the area. Top officials of Delhi police including Special Commissioner (law and order) Dharmendra Kumar and Joint Commissioner of Special Cell RS Krishnaiah have rushed to the spot. Joint Commissioner (Crime) Sandip Goyal and Special Commissioner PN Aggarwal also joined them. Kumar said it was too early to ascertain the exact nature of the blast. He declined to speculate whether the blast was of low intensity or high intensity. It is in the second time in four months that a blast occured outside the Delhi High Court complex. An explosion on May 25 triggered panic prompting the authorities to sound a high alert in the capital and tighten security at public places. No one was injured. Low-intensity explosives, wrapped in a polythene bag and kept close to the car parked near Gate No. 7, went off around 1.30 pm. Ammonium nitrate, a battery-like object, wires and some nails were found at the site by forensic experts.