Blast in Assam’s Jorhat Leaves Two Dead, Two Hurt

Jorhat: Two persons, including a scrap dealer and a child, lost their lives while two others sustained injuries in an explosion in Assam’s Jorhat district, police said.

The incident took place in the Raja Maidam locality of Jorhat town, where residents reported hearing a strong blast that caused alarm in the area.

As per police said all four victims were taken to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital soon after the explosion. However, two of them were declared dead on arrival by attending doctors.

The deceased have been identified as Noor Mohammad (45) and Mohammad Iqbal (8), both residents of Rajamaidam New Colony. The injured, Sehnaj Begum (12) and Noorjahan Begum (35), are also from the same neighbourhood.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sibhrajyoti Bora said Noor Mohammad was engaged in collecting scrap from different parts of the town and used a rented premises to sort and process the materials.

“Preliminary information suggests that he was breaking scrap with a hammer when the explosion occurred. Children playing nearby were also affected. The exact cause is under investigation,” Bora said.

Locals initially suspected an LPG cylinder blast due to the intensity of the sound, but police later clarified that no such link has been established.

Residents rushed to the site immediately after the explosion and alerted authorities after finding the injured. Police teams and emergency services responded shortly thereafter.

The police said that the scrap materials stored at the site are being examined to check for the presence of any hazardous substances.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and further investigation is in progress.

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