Moirangkhom blast: Death toll rises to 3
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 31 2013: With one more injured victim succumbing at Shija Hospital here today, the death toll in yesterday's bomb blast incident at Moirangkhom near the Hicham Yaicham memorial complex of Bir Tikendrajit has risen to three.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed, Rs 50,000 for the critically injured and Rs 30,000 for those who sustained minor injuries in the blast.

However, the approval of the State Cabinet in this regard is still awaited.

Laishram Rajen (48) s/o L Jatra of Singjamei Makha Naorem Leikai, a passenger van driver, who was critically wounded in the blast that took place at the Moirangkhom Moreh Parking along the Imphal-Moreh road early morning yesterday, succumbed to his injuries in the ICU of Shija Hospital at around 4:30 pm today.

His body has been deposited at the mortuary of RIMS Hospital for post-mortem.

In all seven people including Rajen were wounded in the blast which went off at around 6.25 am yesterday.

But two of the injured, namely Leishungbam Brojen (35) s/o L Siton of Andro but staying at Palace Compound and Holnung Touthang (40) s/o Tongkhothang of Bijang village, Churachandpur but staying at Langol Games Village, both passenger van drivers as well, succumbed at the hospital yesterday itself.

After the post mortem on their bodies was conducted at RIMS today, a procession was taken out under the aegis of All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union today.

Participated by hundreds of people, the procession began from the mortuary of RIMS and ended at the site where the deadly attack took place.

Later, the bodies were handed over to their respective families for performing the last rites due to every departed soul.

A sit-in-protest was also carried out by members of Imphal-Moreh Road Van Drivers' Union at the blast site today and demanded the Government to bring all the culprits to justice.

Meanwhile, speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a function marking Rashtriya Sankalp Divas (National Re-dedication Day) observance in commemoration of the 29th death anniversary of former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi at Congress Bhavan here, Chief Minister O Ibobi announced the ex-gratia and pleaded the public for intelligence sharing to avert deadly attacks like the Moirangkhom blast that killed two people and wounded five others yesterday.

"Such subversive activities of killing civilians aim at tarnishing the image of the Government.

The Government is putting all efforts to curb them.

To this end, we need support and cooperation like intelligence sharing from the public," the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister went on to observe that the Centre had reluctantly agreed to remove the Disturbed Area status from seven assembly segments of Imphal Municipal area following public demand.

But the series of bomb blasts are taking place is only worsen the situation" .

Deputy CM Gaikhangam, who is also the President of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), other Council of Ministrs, MLAS and leaders of Congress frontal organizations were also present and joined in offering floral tribute to the photograph of Indira Gandhi during the function which was organised by MPCC. The National-Re dedication Day observance was also organised by the State Government at Secretariat (South Block) here, where the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh led the rest including Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga, Director General of Police MK Das, Deputy Speaker Preshow Shimray, Ministers, MLAs and senior civil and police officials in paying tribute to Indira Gandhi, the the first woman Prime Minister of India who was assassinated by her own guards on this day, October 32, 1984 .

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Ibobi and Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam reiterated their condemnation over the recent bomb blast series in the heart of capital city and observed that violence cannot bring any solutions because dialogue and negotiations remains the best means to to sort out problems and differences.

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