Delhi CRPF School Blast: What We Know So Far

New Delhi: Securing agencies including anti-terror teams were activated in Delhi after an explosion rocked a CRPF school in Delhi's Rohini   in the Prashant Vihar area on Sunday. While no injuries were reported, nearby vehicles and properties were damaged, police said. The Delhi Police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the National Security Guard (NSG) are probing the incident. Officials at the scene have said that traces of low explosives and other materials commonly used in crude bombs were found at the blast site.

• Teams from the Delhi Police, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the National Security Guard (NSG) were rushed to the spot, as the blast is being investigated from all possible angles, including a potential terror attack attempt.
• The Delhi Police are investigating whether the blast was intentional and, if so, what message the perpetrators aimed to convey.

• According to police sources, the blast was intended to send a message, as the suspect deliberately chose the school wall and morning hours to ensure no loss of life. 
• "The manner of the blast on the wall side and the morning timing suggest the intention was only to send a message, not to cause significant damage," they said.
• Investigative agencies suspect that the white powder found at the site could be from a crude homemade bomb made with ammonium phosphate and other chemicals.
• Experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and NSG collected samples from the site for analysis to determine the exact chemicals used.
• Wires were also found at the scene, but it is unclear if they were present beforehand or connected to the incident. NSG officials found a battery and wire near the blast spot and are investigating whether these items were placed before the explosion.
• The agencies will soon submit a report to the Home Ministry regarding the incident.
• According to police, the explosion's loud sound was heard at around 7:30 am. A call was received at the police control room at 7:47 am, regarding the blast near the CRPF school in Rohini's Sector 14.
• "On this, the station house officer and his team reached the spot, where the school wall was found damaged. A foul smell was noticed at the site, and the windows of nearby shops and cars parked nearby were shattered. However, no one was injured in the incident," said a senior police officer.
• According to sources, the blast was deliberately carried out in the morning to avoid casualties, with the intention of sending only a “message or signal.”
• An eyewitness at the scene said, “We were sitting at home, then we heard a loud blast. At first, we did not understand what happened, thinking that a cylinder had burst. We then ran down and saw that there was a lot of yellow smoke everywhere, so we called up the police.”
• The eyewitness also described property damage. "All the glasses were broken. We heard such a loud explosion that we felt our building was shaking too. The lock at the gate near our parking is also broken due to the blast," he said.
• The agencies found white powder at the site, suspected to have been used in the crude bomb. However, the exact chemical composition will be confirmed after analysis by the FSL, CRPF, and NSG, said sources.
• Officials at the scene said that the odor immediately following the blast resembled ammonia and phosphate. Traces of a white powdery substance were found on the school wall and nearby objects.

The area has been cordoned off, and the police have called in crime teams and forensic experts for a thorough inspection. A senior officer with Delhi Police said that they are investigating the materials used in the explosion.

"We are also reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify who may have brought the explosives. Forensics teams have collected samples for analysis, which will help us determine the chemicals used and possibly trace their origin," the officer said.

NSG teams, specializing in explosives, were called to assist in identifying the type of explosive used. NIA officials were also present on the scene to investigate the incident further.

"The NSG will help us determine the type of explosive used. If it is confirmed as a terror attack attempt, the case will be transferred to the NIA, which is why their presence is crucial," an officer said.

Investigators believe the blast may have been intended to intimidate locals, given that it occurred early in the morning when the area was not crowded and also next to the wall of a school run by the CRPF, India's largest paramilitary force.

The school serves students from CRPF and other paramilitary families.

After a preliminary investigation, Delhi Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections to continue the probe.

Following the incident, Delhi has been placed on high alert, and police have heightened security in markets ahead of Diwali.

With inputs from PTI