Sikh priest recovering after Germany gurdwara blast

Berlin, April 19

The condition of a 60-year-old Sikh priest, who was seriously injured in an explosion at a gurdwara in the German city of Essen has improved and he is now out of danger, police said today.

The priest was among three persons who were hurt when an explosive device went off in the entrance hall of the Gurdwara Nanaksar at the end of a wedding ceremony on Saturday.

Most of the wedding guests had left the gurdwara to attend a reception in a nearby hall, but several persons were still inside the temple when the device exploded.

He has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Essen where he was admitted soon after the explosion.

The injuries of two other men were not so serious and they could attend the wedding reception after receiving treatment from emergency medical teams arrived at the gurdwara, a police spokesman said.

He said the explosion was "certainly an attack", but it is too early to say what kind of explosive device was used or how it was detonated as the forensic analysis and other investigations are still continuing.

So far, there are no indications of any terrorist link, but the investigations are being conducted "in all directions," police said.

Meanwhile, police have received new information that a hooded man dressed in black, who is suspected of throwing the explosive device into the gurdwara, was seen by some people as he ran away from the temple without his head dress.

According to eyewitnesses, he has the appearance of a person from the Mediterranean region or North Africa and the investigators are now searching for him, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said he could not confirm some media reports that the head dress of the man was recovered by police and it is being subjected to DNA analysis. —PTI