Kerala blast: Kochi resident claims responsibility, surrenders before police
A 48-year-old man from Kochi, Kerala, surrendered before the Thrissur Police on Sunday evening, hours after blasts at the convention center in Kalamassery killed one person and injured 52 others. The police have taken him into custody for detailed questioning. Three explosions were reported within minutes of each other on Sunday morning during a prayer meeting held by Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian group.
Suspect surrendered willingly
The man has been identified as Dominic Martin. He willingly surrendered to the police, who are now conducting a thorough investigation into his possible psychological condition. His bag containing suspicious materials has also been seized. An earlier investigation into the bomb explosions revealed that a tiffin box containing an improvised explosive device (IED) was used to trigger the explosion.
52 hospitalized, 18 in ICU: Health minister
Kerala Health Minister Veena George told reporters that 52 people were injured in the blasts and were being treated at various hospitals. "30 people are admitted in the government hospital, out of which 18 are in ICU and six are critically injured, among those six, one is a 12-year-old child. The person who was killed has not been identified yet," George said.
About 2,000 people were present when blasts took place
At the time of the explosion, around 2,000 people were present at the center. Meanwhile, another man was detained at Kannur Railway Station after police discovered suspicious items in his bag. Security has been increased in Delhi and Mumbai following the serial blasts. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called an all-party meeting in the state capital on Monday to discuss the development.
Security tightened at Kannur Railway Station
Blasts to be probed by NIA
A four-member team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which specializes in counter-terrorism operations, will now investigate the explosions. The agency's forensic team has already arrived at the crime scene and is currently collecting evidence. While the reason behind the blast was yet to be ascertained, earlier reports claimed that it was carried out to create terror.
