406 blast incidents,118 people killed in 2016, says govt

Over 400 blasts were reported in India last year in which 118 people were killed, the government said on Tuesday.

According to data collected by National Security Guard's National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC), a total of 406 blast incidents (337 Improvised Explosive Device and 69 explosive ordnance) took place in India during 2016, Union Minister Gangaram Ahir said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

"112 persons were killed and 479 persons were injured in IED blast incidents and six persons were killed and 26 persons were injured in explosive ordnance blasts in India during 2016," said Ahir, Minister of State for Home Affairs.

The NBDC data includes all major as well as minor IED blast incidents in the country, including those which are accidental in nature, he said.

"However, the data relating to other countries collected by NBDC through open sources includes only the major IED blast incidents. As such the data published in NBDC's Bombshell magazine is not indicative that India witnessed the maximum bombings in the world in the year 2016," the minister said.