TAMILNADU: 25-year-old killed in Coimbatore car blast in front of temple; Police found a cache of explosives

Coimbatore: A 25-year-old man was killed in a car explosion in front of a temple in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore on Sunday. The blast took place in Coimbatore on Sunday, October 23, 2022. During the inspection conducted at the residence of deceased Jamisha Mubin, a large quantity of explosives were found. According to police sources, the National Investigation Agency questioned Mubin once in 2019.

An LPG cylinder #blast in a car near Kottai Eswaran Kovil in #Coimbatore in the early hours of Sunday claims one life. @THChennai pic.twitter.com/hKts1cJ2M8

— Wilson Thomas (@wilson__thomas) October 23, 2022

Although the police said that the LPG cylinder in the vehicle may have been the cause of the blast, a search conducted at the house of the deceased Jamisha Mubin revealed a large quantity of explosives.

Police said Mubin, a native of Ukkadam, was killed in the 4.00 Am blast in front of the Kotai Eswaran temple near the town hall, one of the busiest commercial areas in the western city. An LPG cylinder he was carrying in a hatchback car exploded and another burst was found at the blast site.

Jamisha Mubin (25) 

Director General of Police who was camped in Coimbatore C. Shailendra Babu told reporters on Sunday evening that the blast occurred when the accused was coming with two cylinders, items including nails and marbles. However, he refused to comment on whether the attack on the temple was planned. Meanwhile, the DGP said that the police found a cache of explosives like potassium nitrate, aluminum powder, sulfur and charcoal from the residence of Mubin, who is an engineering graduate.

"On examination of the material seized from his house, the material in the car could be for a possible plan for future attacks," says Babu, who had to cross a police check post in the area after the temple. The police chief said that the blast occurred when he was trying to escape.

Mr. Babu, who visited the site of the blast on Sunday afternoon, said that unlike some of his friends in Coimbatore, Mubin was not involved in any case. However, the explosion in front of the temple in Coimbatore shocked the locals

Additional Director General of Police P. Thamaraikannan, Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan, West Zone Inspector General of Police R.Sudhakar visited the place in the morning and other senior officers coordinated the investigation.

On October 23, 2022, an LPG cylinder that exploded in front of Kottai Iswaran Kovil Street in Coimbatore city had a four-inch crack, an official of the Fire and Rescue Service said. It was a commercial cylinder weighing 35 kg that did not burst. Officials said a charred body was found near the charred car.

Fire and rescue services reached the spot immediately after the explosion and put out the fire. Mubin's charred body was recovered from the spot and shifted to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

Following the blast, a police barricade was set up on Iswaran Kovil Street in Kottayam and over 100 policemen were deployed. Special forces have been called from other districts. The forensic team searched for evidence among the wreckage of the car. By evening, the police removed the wreckage of the car and cleared the temple area.

Kotai Eswaran Kovil Street with more than 100 shops remained closed till 7 pm. Shopkeepers said they were expecting better sales on the eve of Diwali and the outbreak caused a huge loss in business.