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Red alert sounded in Hyderabad after bomb blast

A red alert has been sounded in Hyderabad and neighbouring Ranga Reddy district in the wake of a bomb blast at a parking lot near Sai Baba temple on the outskirts of the capital city on Thursday night, which killed a woman and injured twenty.

A strict vigil has been mounted at all places of worship, the police said.

"We do not want to take any chance. All the vehicles leaving the city are being checked and the police in neighbouring districts are also put on high alert," a top police official said.

After visiting the site, state Home Minister T Devender Goud said the blast appeared to be the handiwork of an 'organised gang bent upon creating trouble'.

The police also said a second bomb planted in a car parked nearby had failed to explode and it had since been defused.

"We are working on some clues and examining the case from all angles including ISI angle," Additional Director General of Police M L Kumavath said.

The blast came on a day when US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill was in the city along with American Ambassador Robert Blackwill to have a glimpse of the e-governance initiatives in the state.

The bomb, planted inside a milk can kept on a scooter, exploded at around 2030 IST when a large number of devotees had gathered to witness the day's final aarti.

Under the impact of the blast, some of the devotees fainted while others ran for cover. "I heard a loud explosion when I came out to perform puja. We all started running into the temple fearing a major attack," a shocked temple priest Raghu Kumar said recounting the ordeal.

Among the seriously injured was 11-year-old Sravan who is battling for life at Yashoda hospital with 85 per cent burn injuries.

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