Explosives, not hand grenade, went off inside Jamshoro Police Station: CTD

• Grenade went off on its own due to heat, claims DIG.
• Six injured being treated in Hyderabad, two in Karachi.
• Home minister seeks report from SSP Jamshoro.
  

HYDERABAD: Following preliminary investigation into the explosion at the Jamshoro Police Station, the Counter-Terrorism Department and the Special Branch of Sindh police have concluded that the blast took place after explosives placed in the old Maal Khana (evidence room) went off.

"The explosion damaged the Maal Khana of the police station to a great extent," a CTD official said, clarifying that it was not a hand grenade explosion. 

The statement contradicted Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Tariq Dharejo claim that a hand grenade went off due to heat inside the Jamshoro Police Station, resulting in eight injuries. 

Speaking to Geo News, the senior police official said that the storeroom got heated up and as a result, the grenade exploded, due to which two assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), five other police personnel, and a suspect sustained injuries.

Six of the injured are being treated at the Civil Hospital in Hyderabad, while two others have been shifted to Karachi for further treatment, DIG Dharejo said.

The senior cop, although had earlier attributed the explosion to heat, noted that an investigation was still underway to ascertain the cause of the blast while the bomb disposal squad was also at the scene of the incident.

In response, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar sought a report from senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jamshoro and directed the cops to probe the incident using "modern technology".

"Quality medical facilities should be provided to the injured police personnel. Bomb disposal squad should be called in to investigate the blast," the home minister added.

Hours later, the CTD official said, "We can't rule out the possibility of the burst being caused by heat or a short circuit."

When the head muharrir, wireless operator and constables saw smoke billowing out of the Maal Khana, they rushed to the affected site, the CTD official said, adding that as soon as the head muharrir opened the door, the powerful bang occurred.

The intensity of the blast could be imagined from the fact that the Maal Khana's walls and roof caved in, the CTD official noted.

The explosive may have weighed more than a kilogramme, he added.