GAYA, July 8, 2013: A man, aged about 30 years, was seen walking inside the Mahabodhi temple and going up to the blast site before making a quick exit.

The CCTV footage of serials blasts at the Mahabodhi temple and adjoining areas was released today, in which some people were seen running helter-skelter to save their lives.

The footage also showed a man, aged about 30 years, walking inside the Mahabodhi temple and going up to the blast site before making a quick exit.

A man and woman, aged about 25 years, were seen walking on the road immediately before the blast. Taken by surprise at the sound of the explosion, the duo were seen stopping for a brief period to find out as to what happened before fleeing from the spot to save themselves.

The smoke billowing from the blast was also captured in the footage, which also showed over 100 people standing inside the temple when it occurred.

The CCTV footage, which was released by the District Development Officer (DDC) Giridhar Dayal, SP (City) Chandan Kushwaha and members of Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), captured the sound of the second blast, which took place in the Ratnagiri temple, barely 50 metres away from the Mahabodhi temple.

In the third footage of the blast at Taradevi temple, thick smoke was seen billowing out after an explosion and scores of people were running away.

A BTMC office bearer Arvind Singh, who was present during the release of CCTV footage, said that the footage was released to prove that there was no lapse on the part of the BTMC to maintain security at the Buddhist shrine and adjoining areas, as 15 out of 16 CCTV cameras were functional.

Source: India News, DT. July 8, 2013.