BOMB FIRED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 304, 24 December 1929, Page 7

BOMB FIRED.

INDIAN OUTRAGE. ATTACK on viceroy. Portion Of Train Shattered In Explosion. LORD IRWIN'S CLOSE CALL. (British Official Wireless.) ! ' ! (Received 12 noon.) RUGBY, December 23. The Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin, this morning took up his residence at Viceroy House, the new title of this residence, which occupies a commanding site in New Delhi, and is fast reaching completion. When the Viceroy's train was ten miles outside Delhi it was struck by a bomb. Lord Irwin was in another part of the train. The. arrangements made for the reception at New Delhi were unaltered. Replyh-g in the House of Common? to a question about the outrage at Delhi, Captain Wedgwocd Benn, Secretary of State for India, said: "I have His Majesty's permission to read to you a message which the Viceroy of India sent to the King through the India Office this morning." Message to King. The message says: "I regret to have to inform Your Majesty that an attempt was made this morning to wreck my train by exploding a bomb under it as we were approaching Delhi. Luckily no harm was done and few of us realised what had occurred. I hope Your Majesty, therefore, will not be disturbed by exaggerated reports." Captain Benn added: "I am sure I shall be expressing the sentiment of the House in voicing our profound thanks that Lord and Lady Irwin and their staff so providentially escaped injury in this dastardly outrage." A dining car was smashed and one person v/as injured. The Viceroy and Lady Irwin were unhurt and later continued their journey. The outrage took place in a thick fog when the train was speeding at 50 miles an hour. Meant for Viceroy. The bomb was evidently meant for the Viceroy's train as the pilot engine, immediately in front, passed over the spot safely. The bomb was placed on the 1 permanent way and was exploded by means »>f an electric wire from a distance of two and a half miles. Two carriages on the train were badly damaged.

The explosion took place under the vestibule of the fourth coach from the engine, the Viceroy's saloon being the sixth. The explosion blew out a steel rail two feet in length and smashed the wooden sleepers to splinters. The Viceroy's saloon was untouched. The train did not stop and reached Delhi punctually to time.

There have been no arrests,

This is the second bomb outrage in Delhi this year. Two bombs were thrown last March from the gallery of the Legislative Assembly and five people were injured*

It is recalled that this day seventeen years ago a homb outrage occurred as Lord Hardinge made a State entry into Delhi. Lord Irwin was quite unperturbed by the incident.