Bhadrak: Atleast seven persons including three women sustained critical injuries in a bomb attack following a group clash in Tihidi tehsil of Odisha's Bhadrak district. 

The incident took place in Talapada village late on Wednesday night. Though the exact reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, initial investigation indicate that political rivalry triggered the clash. 

As per reports, a group of people from the village barged into the house of one Ramesh Mallik late in the night and started abusing him over past enmity. The verbal scuffle soon snowballed into a full-fledged group clash as Ramesh and his family members retaliated and physical assault ensued. The fight turned uglier as one of the villagers hurled bombs at Mallik's house, injuring seven persons. 

The injured victims, which included three women, were rushed to Tihidi Community health Centre immediately but as their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to the district headquarters hospital where they are currently undergoing treatment. 

Following the incident, tension prevailed in the village and security was beefed up with police personnel deployed to contain any further flare-up in the area.