A bomb went off at Phungling-based Bhanujan Secondary School in Taplejung headquarters today. The explosion created panic among poll staffers and halted poll preparations. The school was assigned a voting centre. As per the sources with the district police office, the explosion took place while polling staffers were making preparations for tomorrow’s election. “We were planting bamboos when something under what looked like loose soil exploded, sending all polling staffers run for life,” said polling officer Kuber Nepali. Taplejung blast, Banujan Secondary School A hole made by the explosion in the ground of Banujan Secondary School,where a bomb went off creating panic among locals and election officials in Taplejung, on Saturday, November 25, 2017. Photo: THT According to DPO Taplejung information officer Homnath Thapa, the school building received minor damage. Though Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist is said to be behind the explosion, the party hasn’t owned the responsibility of the incident. “We’re in a terrible shock after what happened and apparently can’t carry on with the preparation at the voting site until our security is guaranteed,” polling officer Nepali told THT over phone. As the loud bang has impaired hearing of most of the staffers at the venue, we have conveyed this to the office of the chief election officer and the police administration, said Nepali, adding that distribution of voter identity cards has also been halted after the incident. A large number of security personnel of Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police are deployed at the site now in the wake of the incident. सदरमुकाम फुङलिङमा मतदाता परिचयपत्र भइरहेका बेला बम विस्फोट भएको छ। भानु मावि मतदान केन्द्रमा मतदातालाई परिचयपत्र वितरण जारी रहेका बेला शनिबार दिउसो पौने २ बजेतिर विस्फोट भएको हो। विस्फोटमा मानवीय क्षति भएको छैन। मतदानका लागि महिला तथा पुरुषको लाइन व्यवस्थापन गर्न बनाइएको बारमा विस्फोट भएपछि अहिले उक्त मतदान केन्द्रमा सेना तथा प्रहरीले घेरा हालेको छ। कर्मचारी तथा परिचयपत्र लिन गएका मतदाताहरूलाई भने बाहिर निकालिएको छ। सेना तथा प्रहरीको सुरक्षा कायम रहेका बेला मतदान केन्द्रभित्र कसले विस्फोटक पदार्थ लग्यो खुल्न सकेको छैन। मतदान अधिकृत कुवेर नेपालीले यस्तो अवस्थामा निर्वाचन गराउन कठिन हुने भन्दै थप सुरक्षाको प्रत्याभूति गर्न अनुरोध गरेका छन्।