Explosions at prayer meet in India leave three dead and over 50 injured, police investigation underway
A series of explosions in the southern state of Kerala, India, during a gathering of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian-based religious movement, has left three people dead and more than 50 others injured.
A man who claimed responsibility for the attacks in a Facebook video and later surrendered to police is under investigation, although police are working to verify his confession.
The incident occurred during a prayer session organized by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kalamassery, attended by over 2,000 followers.
Preliminary investigations suggest that an improvised explosive device (IED) placed inside a tiffin box may have caused the blasts.
The self-proclaimed attacker, Dominic Martin, posted a confession on Facebook, citing his anger over the religious group’s “anti-national” teachings.
However, a regional spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses denied any knowledge of Martin’s presence at the event.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George reported that 17 people had been admitted to various hospitals, with 12 in intensive care, four of whom are critically ill with significant burns.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the incident and established a 20-member investigative team.
Security has been heightened in Delhi and other cities following the blasts.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, a religious movement with approximately 8.7 million followers worldwide, has a significant presence in Kerala and is known for its door-to-door evangelistic work.
In 1986, the movement’s followers won a Supreme Court ruling in India, allowing their children to opt out of singing the national anthem in schools, arguing that it conflicted with their religious beliefs.
Source-BBC
