The powerful explosion that claimed seven lives and injured over 25 in Anthgaon area of Guwahati on Saturday could have spelt doom for many school children had it exploded 30 minutes earlier.

According a resident of S C Road in Anthgaon which was rocked by the blast at around 10.30 am on Saturday, the blast would have put the lives of a large number of school children and their guardians in extreme danger if it had exploded about half and hour earlier.

He informed that there were four schools located on the S C Road --- KidsZee preparatory school, Angels' High School, Auckland High School and Swaraswati Vidya Niketan.

The road remains thronged by school going children, some of them accompanied by their guardians between 8 am to 10 am everyday. An explosion of the same intensity during that period would have put an end to many budding lives.

Meanwhile, traders in Anthgaon and nearby Fancy Bazar areas on Saturday came out on the roads demanding security to their lives given that the banned ULFA has so far triggered four explosions in these two areas during this month killing at least nine and injuring about 60, creating panic among the people.

The bomb that exploded on Saturday was planted in an autorickshaw; the plan had been construed by the banned ULFA to outwit security forces and police.

Earlier, the banned outfit used motorcycles, cycle-rickshaws and a Maruti 800 car on one occasion to plant improvised explosive devices

The police later launched a widespread operation to verify identities of owners of motorcycles and other two-wheelers all over the state.