8 killed in Bihar blast, Nitish orders probe

Aurangabad (Bihar), Nov 21 (PTI) Eight people,
including five children, were killed and 11 others injured
when a bomb planted by Maoists went off Sunday morning in the
Naxal-hit Aurangabad district in eastern state of Bihar, a day
after the final phase of Assembly polls in the state.
The bomb planted by the rebels was found on Saturday
by a police team and was left in a field in the absence of a
bomb disposal squad.
While seven persons, including five children, died on-
the-spot, one succumbed to injuries in a hospital here, the
police said.
Superintendent of Police in the district Vivek Raj
Singh said the bomb was planted by the Maoists at Pachokhar
village during the sixth and final phase of assembly elections
yesterday. The Maoists had given a call for boycott of the
polls.
Security personnel found it and left it in the field
for follow up action to defuse it.
However, when the villagers went to the field this
morning, the bomb suddenly exploded, Singh told PTI.
Twelve others, who sustained splinter injuries, were
admitted to various hospitals in Deo and Aurangabad towns. One
of them died later, police said.
However, the deceased were yet to be identified as
angry villagers did not allow the police to approach the
field.
The district magistrate and the SP could reach Bedhni,
three km from the explosion site, and efforts were on to
pacify the local people, police said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister of the state Nitish Kumar
has directed Development Commissioner K C Saha and Director
General Home Guard U S Dutta to jointly probe the incident.
Kumar has also asked Chief Secretary Anoop Mukherjee
to ensure adequate compensation to families of the victims.
PTI