A day after the quiet Independence Day celebrations Manipuri insurgents today lobbed a hand grenade on the ISKCON temple in Imphal leaving four dead and around 30 injured. Among the injured were ISKCON head priest Damodar Dad and three foreigners thought to be American citizens.

Sources said that the blast occured around 7.20 pm today at the ISKCON centre in Gharu area where around 8,000 people were attending a “Ras Lila” programme being held for Janmasthami. On hearing the blast, people inside the temple panicked and in the ensuing stampede an elderly woman and a child were killed.

The injured have been admitted to the Regional Institutes of Medical Sciences and to several private hospitals in Imphal. Seven victims are said to be in critical condition.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and the police have not named any group as suspect.

“At the moment we can't speculate on the reasons behind the attack and the group involved. Investigations are on, said IG (Law and Order) R Baral when contacted by The Indian Express.

Highly placed sources said that the grenade was hurled from the southern side of the temple in this largely Vaishnavite Imphal valley where the Hindu population among the Meitei community is concentrated. Meites form the majority community in Manipur with around 12 lakh according to the 2001 census figures.

Director General of Police AK Parashar and Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. Singh, strongly condemning the attack, said that all efforts will be made to identify the culprits.