Blast in Malappuram collectorate, no casualties

MALAPPURAM: A blast rocked the Collectorate premises in Malappuram Tuesday afternoon but no casualties or damage were reported, police said.

The bomb, kept in a pressure cooker, was placed beside the vehicle of a district  homeo medical officer who came for a routine meeting at the district collector's office, said police.

Malappuram Superintendent of Police Debesh Kumar Behra, who reached the scene soon after the explosion, told reporters that it was a 'pressure cooker bomb' and apart from the vehicle, no other damage or casualties were reported.

"A box with a name slip of 'The Base Movement' has been recovered from the site. It seems this organisation was involved in such activities in Nellore, Mysuru and Kollam in the past," he said, adding that a special investigation team will be set up to probe the incident.

Behra also said that presence of ammonium nitrate, used in the bomb, has also been identified.

District Collector A Shinemol, who was also at the scene, incidentally held the same position in Kollam last year when a similar explosion took place at the district headquarters there.

Front tyres of Air India plane burst, no casualties

Panaji: The front tyres of a Chennai-bound Air India flight burst after landing at Goa's Dabolim airport Tuesday morning. All 105 passengers were safe, officials said.

Airport officials said flight AI 976, flying from Kuwait to Chennai via Goa, met with the accident around 8.30 a.m.  The aircraft was still on the runway.  Air India officials were making alternative arrangements to ferry the stranded passengers to Chennai.