GUWAHATI, June 8: Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today escaped a bomb attack at Kamakhya Gate here.

Police said the powerful bomb detonated at about 1.05 pm under a culvert as his convoy passed it.

A big crater was formed on the road due to the impact of the explosion which rocked the entire area. The chief minister was returning from New Delhi after plan discussion.

The windows of a nearby school were blown off by the splinters.The last vehicle of the chief minister convoy halted because of the explosion, an eyewitness said. The bomb was operated from a temporary shed across the main railway line connected by a wire.

Police suspected the involvement of banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in the explosion and two persons had so far been arrested from the area.

Some incriminating documents were also recovered from the shed. Some more arrests were expected, they said.

This was the first attempt on the life of Mahanta. Police continued investigation and search in the area.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.