The very shop where the bomb had been placed a year ago. The shop has been renovated since then. The previous owner died as a result of the blast. (MExPix)
Morung Express News
October 1
Dimapur: The agony and excitement seems to have subsided. However, some witnesses still remember the day that rocked Dimapur vividly. The Morung Express talked to some of them.
Choegal, a shop owner based in Hong Kong Market said, “When the bomb detonated, the first thought that struck my mind was that a lightning bolt had struck somewhere. It had been drizzling. The loud roar of thunder led me towards this channel of thought. However, when I noticed people running helter-skelter it, finally dawned on me that something terrible had occurred.”
Moti Lal, a stall owner who has set up shop at the Railway Station was in close proximity of the bomb when it exploded. “Baap re baap! It was as if the world had come to an end. I was meters away from the bomb when the explosion rocked the Railway Station. Some of those who were near me were blown to smithereens. I thank my lucky stars as I managed to survive with only a few minor wounds. After the explosion, witnessing the mangled bodies of those who bore the brunt of the impact was a ghastly and horrid sight.”
M Baruah, another witness, said he was lifted two feet above the ground as a result of the impact. “The roof which covers the platform was blown to pieces and for a moment looked like pieces of paper floating in the air. I heard a hiss which sounded like the whistle of a pressure cooker. The hissing sound gave way to a beep after which the bomb exploded”
“After the explosion, and after looking at the devastation it had wreaked, I just kept running. I didn’t know what to do so I just started crying,” said Nima, a Bhutanese who owns a shop at the Hong Kong Market.
Culprits in NSCN (I-M) custody
The NSCN (I-M) has apprehended two of the culprits involved in the infamous October 2 twin bomb blasts which shook Dimapur last year. A top NSCN Home Ministry official disclosed that the outfit had managed to apprehend the duo after intense investigations. “Yes, their involvement has been ascertained,” the official said. According to reports, the apprehended are presently in Camp Hebron-CHQ of the outfit. They were caught around a month back, according to a reliable source. “This is a result of the hard work put in by the personnel of our intelligence network who worked in coordination with other departments. If we had not done anything, it would have caused an embarrassment to the Naga people,” he said. Interrogations and further investigations are going on. The outcome of the investigation will be made public after a month, he added.
Meanwhile, Police have erected an electronic door frame at the main entrance of the Railway Station as a precautionary measure. The door frame is capable of detecting bombs and other weapons. When contacted, Police had to say that they had earlier arrested some suspects to the October 2 incident but added that nothing concrete had emerged out of the arrests.
