Meerut: The congested lanes of a scrap market in Ahmednagar area here reverberated with a deafening sound as an explosion took place at a shop here, bringing in the fear of a possible terror attack.

The blast site was left with bodies lying on the ground and bottles and plastic strewn around along with heavy metallic cylinders.

Amidst desperate cries of injured, locals lent an immediate helping hand before police reached the site. A person with blood oozing from his hand was rushed by locals to hospital.

Fears of a terror attack were shortlived as it soon turned out to be an accidental blast which took place when a scrap dealer tried to extract brass from a live mortar shell which somehow landed in the Army scrap.

Police officials could be seen going through heaps of plastic and metals trying to find any other shell that might still be there.

The blast claimed five lives leaving three others injured, Senior Superintendent of Police Raghuveer Lal said.

"I was collecting bottles when I heard a bang. I fell on the ground. When I got up, I saw my friends on the ground splattered with blood," Ram Babu, a worker said.
Source : PTI