It was smoke and chaos everywhere, say eyewitnesses

AMRITSAR: Nearly 200 people attending a religious congregation at the Nirankari bhawan at Rajasansi in Amritsar rushed for safety after unexpectedly being pushed into chaos on Sunday, when two men on a motorcycle hurled a hand grenade in an apparent terror attack on the premises, from where messages of peace and spirituality are sent out, eyewitnesses said.

Recalling the scenes that followed the attack, the eyewitnesses said they were panicked, shocked and scrambled through a thick blanket of smoke.

They said it was a usual Sunday congregation on the outskirts of Amritsar city, until the attackers struck. “Each Sunday, I do ‘sewa’ at the Nirankari bhawan. I was on duty near the stage when I saw a person, who appeared young, with his face covered, throw something and run. The next thing I remember is that there was a blast, smoke all over and everyone ran around for their lives,” Simranjeet Kaur told reporters outside the premises.

A man said his daughter was deputed at one of the entry gates to frisk women devotees visiting the place. “She told me that two people came there and pointed a pistol at her after which she panicked. The next thing she knows that people were rushing out in fear after a grenade was hurled inside,” he said.

A devotee who was inside the bhawan said: “I saw blood at the spot after the blast. Although I did not see the attackers, I was told by other devotees that two youth had come on a bike. They gained entry and hurled explosive and escaped. Both appeared to be youth with faces covered.”

Another man, who identified himself as Gurpreet Singh, said he lives near the bhawan. “I was in my home when someone said a cylinder had burst at the bhawan. When I reached there, I saw injured being taken to hospital in ambulances,” he said.