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Terror visits city: First picture after the blast by Shitalkumar SS. The area was cordoned off after the blast at around 6.45 pm |
The front of the German Bakery in complete ruins as officials try to salvage the situation |
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 I had come to German Bakery with five of my friends. I was ordering food at the counter with one of them, while the others were sitting at a table, when I suddenly heard an explosion and everything turned hazy and smoky. Someone pushed me from behind and I was thrown out on the road. I got minor burns on my face, lips and hands and I was taken to the hospital. While four of my friends are safe and in the hospital, I am not able to trace my friend, Ritesh whose phone is not reachable.
— Shivangi Tyagi, 23, Wipro (HR) |
I have been staying at the nearby Osho Ashram since January 27, but am here at Sassoon Hospital after the blast. I had come to the Bakery while taking a walk, when I met two Indians there with whom I started chatting about India. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion and everything blacked out. I was unhurt, but my Indian friends suffered burns and so I rushed to help them. While helping them out, I sustained some injuries myself.”
—Jack Huang from Taiwan |
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| Adjacent shops bore brunt of the blast |
An autorickshaw whose seat was found blown to bits at the site |
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| A suspicious bag was inside the auto, but bomb squad found it to be empty |
Hole in the Bakery’s outside wall raises serious questions about where the bomb was actually planted |
There is blood and body parts intermingled with sharpnels of glass, wood and concrete all over the road.
There are sniffer dogs and the bomb squad was searching for what they believed to be remains of the bomb which could have been placed in an autorickshaw and failed to detonate,” Nilankur Das, a Koregaon Park resident told Pune Mirror a few minutes after a high intensity explosion ripped through German Bakery on North Main Road at around 7 pm on Saturday.
Being the weekend, the popular hangout was teeming with people and the explosion resulted in the death of at least eight most of whom were foreigners.
The bodies have been charred beyond recognition and so they have been declared unidentified. Eight people have been killed and over 35 people have been injured in the bomb blast. The injured have been admitted to Sassoon Hospital, Jehangir Hospital, Ruby Hall, Surya and Inlaks Budhrani hospitals.
“The intensity was very high causing a huge fire in the surrounding area. The dead bodies found are in a very bad condition. They are completely charred. So, it very difficult to identify the nationalities of the deceased. We are getting help.
The ATS team is already here and is investigating the origin of the blast, “Ramesh Bagwe, State Home Minister said. While earlier reports of what caused the explosion said it could be a cylinder blast, Jt commissioner Rajendra Sonawane said, “Eight people have died and over 35 have been injured. We suspect this is a bomb blast.
We have taken specimens from the blast site.” However, the home ministry and the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) confirmed it was a bomb blast. The ATS chief and Force one was deployed from Mumbai. A cashier and employee of German Bakery have been taken to the Bund Garden Police Station for enquiry.
Those at the spot told Mirror that North Main Road was cordoned off and power shut down in the area soon after the blast. The police told people on the spot that the explosion was just a cylinder blast.
Sabyesachi Bharati, who was at the spot 10-15 minutes after the blast, could not believe the sight he beheld – legs were off bodies, there was flesh everywhere. “My friends even saw human flesh outside O Hotel. The complete outer portion of the bakery was blown away.
He added that the blast was heard 3-4 kilometres away, that is up till Kharadi! Santosh Bhosale, an eye witness who owns a shop near German Bakery, said, "I heard a big blast. When I rushed to the spot, he saw a foreigner’s body that was cut at the waist.
When Pune Mirror checked with the reaction from Pune’s Jewish community, president of the community, Dr Daniel Penkar said, "I’m yet to get details of the blast." He added that there was no specific alert received from the police on this background.
Few alert citizens also informed Mirror that they had come across a notice board by the police alerting the public about unidentified objects and suspicious looking persons, put up in Sarasbaug. Officials in Sarasbaug said,
"Police keep visiting this place often. They had suggested such a notice board be put up a long time back. But recently, there has been no specific instructions from the cops."
The residentrs in Koregaon Park are terrified as the Chhabad House and Osho Ashram both likely targets for a terror attack are in the area. Since David Headley had visited Pune and the Osho Ashram, it is likely that he had visited German Bakery too.
When we asked whether he could have had a hand in the blast. The Pune Police said that investigations are still on. An unclaimed bag has been found in an autorickshaw near German Bakery after the blast occurred. When the bag wa opened there was nothing found in it.
The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) will take over the situation tonight.
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