AGRA, India: An explosion in a scrapyard near the world-famous Taj Mahal in the northern India city of Agra killed two men and injured
a woman, police said yesterday.
The blast occurred four km (two miles) from the white marble mausoleum, known as the “monument of love,” as scrapyard workers attempted to separate explosives from metal scrap that had been bought from the army.
“It was an accident but we will request the army to inspect the scrap before they sell it to the dealers,” senior police officer S.C. Dubey said, adding that there was no damage to the Taj Mahal.
India’s Supreme Court in 1996 declared a large protected zone around the Taj after industries were found to be contributing to a yellowing of the 360-year-old monument which attracts four million visitors a year.
Two killed in blast near Taj Mahal
