Nadia, 11 April (H.S): Panic gripped a locality in West Bengal’s Nadia district after an explosion occurred inside a school building on Saturday afternoon, the police said.

The incident took place at a secondary educational centre in the Saguna gram panchayat area under Kalyani Assembly constituency, where a blast was reported in the attic on the first floor of the building around 1 pm.

The impact of the explosion damaged a portion of the asbestos roof, officials said. However, no casualties were reported as no students were present in the school at the time of the incident. Four teachers were in the premises and rushed to the spot after hearing the loud sound.

The police from Kalyani station reached the site soon after being informed and cordoned off the area. Personnel of central forces also visited the spot and carried out a search operation. A drone was used to scan the premises, sources said.

The exact cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained. Police have initiated an investigation to determine how explosive material reached the school premises.

Given the ongoing election atmosphere, officials are also probing whether there was any larger conspiracy behind the incident.

The incident has triggered concern among local residents and guardians.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey