NSG team visits Shimla eatery rocked by explosion

A team of the National Security Guard (NSG) on Sunday visited the eatery on Mall Road where a gas leak apparently led to a blast, killing one person and injuring 13 others.

The blast occurred on Tuesday evening at Himachali Rasoi restaurant, known for serving Himachali cuisines, located in Middle Bazaar adjacent to the fire brigade office in the heart of the city. Police said the blast was apparently caused by a gas leak.

A team from the National Bomb Data Centre of the NSG has come for the post-blast investigation to find out the cause of the explosion, Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu told PTI.

The place where the blast occurred was sensitive as it is near the Police Reporting Room. The NSG specialises in this field and their services are being availed to determine the cause of the blast according to the standard operating procedure of the government, he said.

On July 19, Kundu visited the blast site and said preliminary investigation and forensic examination have pointed out that the gas leak led to the blast.

According to the statement of the injured people, a gas leak from two LPG cylinders led to the blast but more casualties were averted as the place was closed for maintenance.

Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said people in the vicinity of the eatery had complained of a gas leak before the blast.

However, suspicion is being raised due to the high intensity of the blast that shattered windows of several shops and houses in the vicinity and the sound of the explosion was heard miles away.

Meanwhile, BJP media in-charge Karan Nanda, who along with other shopkeepers are demanding a high-level investigation into the matter, said they were confident that the NSG would dig out the truth about the blast.