Shivraj Patil condemns Srinagar blast

Home Minister Shivraj Patil has strongly condemned Sundays blast in a tourist bus in Srinagar in which five persons were killed.

New Delhi, July 30 : Home Minister Shivraj Patil has strongly condemned Sunday's blast in a tourist bus in Srinagar in which five persons were killed.

Describing the incident as an act of frustration by terrorists, Patil said: "The Government will continue to work for peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir."

Patil expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.

According to media reports, six persons, including two children, were killed and 30 others injured in a powerful explosion that took place in a tourist bus near the Shalimar garden on Sunday afternoon.

The bus was carrying tourists from Gujarat.

Most victims were connected to those whose businesses are divided between Kashmir and Gujarat, police said.

Police said that they were not sure if it was a grenade attack by militants or if a faulty air-conditioner had exploded inside the bus.

Earlier, there were indications that bursting of a gas cylinder placed inside it caused the explosion.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the explosion near Shalimar Garden, a popular tourist spot in the city.

ANI