Daijiworld Media Network – Chandigarh
Chandigarh, May 6: Panic gripped parts of Punjab after two back-to-back explosions were reported near Border Security Force (BSF) establishments in Jalandhar and Amritsar, prompting a high alert across the border state. No casualties have been reported so far, even as police and central agencies launched a detailed probe into the incidents.
The first explosion occurred near the BSF headquarters at BSF Chowk in Jalandhar, where a parked scooter suddenly exploded in a busy locality. Eyewitnesses said the blast was followed by flames engulfing the vehicle, triggering chaos as people rushed to safety. CCTV footage from the area reportedly shows debris being flung across the road, with a man seen fleeing moments after the explosion.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said preliminary findings suggest the scooter caught fire, but the exact cause is yet to be ascertained. “We are verifying all aspects on the ground. It is too early to draw conclusions,” she said, adding that the scooter rider and another individual are being questioned and CCTV footage is under examination.
The scooter rider has been identified as 22-year-old Gurpreet Singh, a delivery agent. According to his family, the vehicle caught fire when he approached it, following which he alerted his father.
In a separate incident hours later, a blast was reported late Tuesday night in the Khasa area of Amritsar, outside an Army camp located near BSF installations. Police suspect a motorcycle-borne individual may have hurled a grenade at the site. The location lies around 15 km from the Attari-Wagah international border.
Amritsar Rural SP Aditya Warrier confirmed that the explosion took place between 10.30 pm and 11 pm. Police and Army teams rushed to the scene immediately. “Forensic teams are examining the site and all angles are being probed,” he said.
Security has been tightened across sensitive locations in Punjab, with bomb disposal squads, dog units, and forensic experts deployed at both sites.
Meanwhile, the incidents have triggered a political row, with opposition leaders criticising the AAP-led Punjab government over the state’s law and order situation. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring termed the explosion near the BSF headquarters as “deeply alarming,” raising concerns over security in the border state.
Authorities, however, have maintained that the exact nature and cause of the explosions are yet to be established, and investigations are ongoing.