Bihar: 8 killed in bomb blast

A live bomb, left casually to be defused, went off killing at least eight people, including 5 children, and injuring 11 others at Pachockhar village in Bihar’s Aurangabad district on Sunday, police said.

The bomb, planted by the Maoists, was found on Saturday by police and was left in a field in the absence of a bomb disposal squad.

The big blast killed seven instantly, while one succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

The tragic incident happened, a day after polling was over for the sixth and final phase of Bihar state Assembly elections with an estimated 51 per cent people exercising their franchise braving a Maoist call for vote boycott.

Two security personnel–a Bihar Military Police (BMP) and a home guard were killed on Saturday morning in a landmine blast.

The landmine went off as it was being defused near Londa village, under Imamganj Assembly constituency, in Gaya district.

Six other BMP constables and three journalists were also injured in the incident.

The Maoists also triggered a minor blast at Bawandeo area in the same district, injuring one jawan.