20000320

16 injured

in bomb blast

near Taj Mahal

NEW DELHI: Sixteen people were injured when a bomb ripped apart a bus near the Taj Mahal city of Agra, four days ahead of US President Bill Clinton's visit there, the Press Trust of India said on Saturday.

The bus was on its way to New Delhi when a bomb hidden under the seat went off injuring four passengers seriously, police said.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack which took place 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) from Agra.

Clinton arrives in India on Sunday for a six-day tour of South Asia, marking the first visit by a US president to the region for more than two decades.

He will visit Taj Mahal Ñ built by Moghul emperor Shah Jahan between 1631 and 1653 as a gesture of undying love for his second wife Mumtaz Mahal Ñ on March 22, the second day of his five-day state visit.ÑAFP