Explosion damages roof of Congress worker’s house in Murshidabad, none injured

An explosion damaged the roof of a Congress worker’s house in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Tuesday morning, triggering panic in the area just days ahead of the first phase of the assembly elections. No injuries were reported, police said.

The blast occurred at the residence of Saimul Sheikh, a Congress booth president, in Maniknagar village under Nayansukh gram panchayat in the Farakka block. The impact was strong enough to partially collapse the roof, with bricks scattered across the site.

According to police, construction work was underway at the house at the time of the incident. Eyewitnesses said a group of workers had paused for a break when a loud explosion suddenly rocked the area, filling it with smoke and damaging a large portion of the roof.

Milton, one of the workers present, said four of them were drinking water when they heard the blast. “We had cleaned the roof in the morning and saw nothing suspicious. We narrowly escaped,” he said.

Saimul Sheikh’s wife, Hilina Khatun, said the family was shaken by the incident. “I heard a loud noise during masonry work and saw the roof wall had collapsed. My children often play there. It could have been a major tragedy,” she said.

Police from Farakka station rushed to the spot and have launched an investigation to determine whether the explosive material was stored on the roof or thrown from outside. The house has been cordoned off and patrols intensified in the area to prevent any escalation.

The incident has sparked a political row. Local Trinamool Congress leaders alleged that explosives were stored at the Congress worker’s house to create fear ahead of the polls. The Congress rejected the charge, calling it a conspiracy to malign the party before the elections, and demanded an impartial probe.

Further investigation is underway.

With IANS inputs