A powerful explosion rocked a rented house in the in Assam’s Jorhat on Saturday, claiming two lives and leaving a child critically injured, just days before the Assam Legislative Assembly elections. The incident took place at Raja Maidam New Colony of Jorhat town at around 3:30 pm on 28th March.
The deceased were identified as Noor Mohammad, whose body was badly mutilated in the blast, and his eight-year-old son, Md. Iqbal. Noor died on spot, while Iqbal succumbed to the injuries in the hospital later.
A seven-year-old girl, the sister of the deceased boy, sustained serious injuries and is fighting for her life at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH). A woman from the neighbourhood was also injured and rushed to the same hospital.
Locals initially suspected the blast was caused by an LPG cylinder explosion, a common occurrence in household accidents. However, it was later found that no LPG cylinder was involved, and there was no fire after the incident. The blast was so powerful that it scattered the body parts of Noor Mohammad throughout the entire room, and the walls of the room were badly damaged. A small crater was also formed on the floor.
The family is originally from Nagaon, and they were staying in the house owned by Ansari Malik.
According to preliminary accounts, the victims were unboxing something inside the house when the explosion occurred. The exact nature of the item and the precise cause of the blast are still under investigation. As per the locals, Noor Mohammad worked in a scrapyard, and he brought something from his workplace, and was trying to open it by hitting it with a hammer. It is known whether that same item exploded.
Police teams reached the spot immediately after the incident and have launched a detailed probe. No motive has been established so far, and authorities have not ruled out any possibility. Local media is speculating that bombs could have been brought to be used in the elections.
Polling for all 126 assembly seats in Assam is scheduled for a single phase on April 9, 2026, with results expected on May 4.
