Powerful blast hits Manipur; no damage

A powerful explosion ripped through the Seijang area of Imphal East district on Thursday but no damage was caused, police said, the second blast in the insurgency-hit state within a week. The blast occurred in an uninhabited area around 8.30 am, a senior police officer said.

"It is not clear whether the bomb was a grenade or an Improvised Explosive Device. An investigation is underway," the officer said. No outfit has not claimed responsibility for the blast.

On January 23, a 10-year-old-girl was injured and seven shops were damaged in a blast triggered by an Improvised Explosive Device near the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences. Police arrested two individuals in connection with the blast.