HYDERABAD: A low-intensive improvised explosive device (IED) exploded close to a large garbage bin near near Mehran Centre along the main Qasimabad road killing a rag picker and injuring a passerby at around 7:45pm on Monday.

The body was kept at the city branch of the Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) till late in the evening, when a man, Jeewan Bheel, recognised the victim as his brother, Bachal Bheel. The injured victim, Idrees, 35, son of Mehran Solangi, was provided treatment at the hospital after which his condition was stated to be out of danger.

The sound of the explosion was heard in all nearby localities though the explosive was described as a low-intensity device.

Police and Rangers cordoned off the area to facilitate collection of evidence and clearance of the spot by the bomb disposal squad (BDS) and forensic officials.

“It was an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing around 90 grams but contained highly explosive substance,” said Special Branch SSP Syed Amir Abbas Shah. The official in charge of the Hyderabad zone BDS Ramzan Panhwar along with his team collected different pieces of evidence from the blast site.

“The rag picker’s upper torso, up to the face, was badly hit,” said a senior security officer.

Mr Panhwar confirmed that the IED was planted outside the garbage bin as the blast created a small crater on its portion where it might have been put. The rag picker might have tried to pick or open it, he said.

SSP Pir Mohammad Shah said that no secondary device was found during the search of the site carried out after the blast.SSP Amir Abbas said that a cell and some ball bearings and batteries were found at the blast site. “It was a small amount of explosive packed in a tin, which was wrapped in a cardboard carton but it certainly had highly explosive substance like RDX,” said SSP Amir.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2018