4 min readPuneFeb 12, 2026 10:12 PM IST
By Vaishnavi Gujar
Fifteen years ago, the German Bakery blast in Pune’s Koregaon Park shattered lives, leaving behind deep scars and a community forever changed. On February 13, 2010, a terrorist attack claimed 17 lives, including five foreigners, and injured over 72 others. What was once a bustling cultural hub filled with students, tourists and locals turned into a site of horror within minutes. Even after a decade and a half, the wounds may have healed on the surface, but memories remain painfully alive for those who witnessed that evening.
A tribute ceremony will be held tomorrow evening between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm at German Bakery in Koregaon Park, where citizens, survivors and local residents will gather to remember the victims of the 2010 blast.
Shankar Kharose, co-owner of German Bakery, recalls the tragedy, “The situation was so terrifying that we did not understand what to do. Around 6:45 pm, many people were present as it is one of the top bakeries and customers come for tea and snacks. Initially, we thought it was a cylinder blast, but the cylinder rack was intact. Later, we learned it was a different type of explosion: the roof was blown off and body parts were scattered. Around 12 people died on the spot and several were injured. The atmosphere was horrifying.”
Santosh Bhosale recalls the German Bakery blast. “I live nearby, close to German Bakery, and at that time my office was in Lane No. 1. Around 6:45 pm, we heard a very loud sound. Initially, we thought maybe a cylinder had burst or a transformer had exploded. It was that kind of deafening noise. I ran towards the spot and saw people coming out covered in blood. We didn’t immediately understand what had happened. When I came to the front, I saw a woman lying on the road with her body half blown apart. An autorickshaw driver was lying there unconscious. Inside, many people were lying injured, soaked in blood. The benches were broken. It was horrific. We called ambulances. The local corporator, Ramesh Bagwe, arrived, and we helped put the injured into ambulances and sent them to the hospital. Later, the fire brigade came.”
He added, “It was the first time in my life I had seen something so devastating lifting injured bodies like that. Even today, when I come here, I get goosebumps. It was extremely dangerous. If the metal sheet compound wall had not been there, the entire hotel might have blown up. The metal sheet probably deflected the force upwards. Some victims’ hands were found hanging on trees that was the level of brutality. It was truly devastating and very dangerous. I hope something like this never happens again.”
Ashish Jadhav, owner of Global Link Communication near the German bakery, recalls the blast. “At first, people were saying it was a gas cylinder blast. It was a blast, yes but bodies were torn apart, people were bleeding heavily. There was complete darkness for some time; nothing was visible. I was in my office here at Global Link Communication when we heard the explosion. We stepped outside and initially thought it might be a cylinder blast. Later, we realized it was something entirely different.
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We tried to leave for home, but the police did not allow us to go. At that time, there wasn’t much security at German Bakery, just one watchman, and he was elderly. We never noticed anything suspicious earlier. Honestly, we were always busy with our own customers and work. People would normally come and go, eat and leave nothing ever felt unusual or alarming. No one imagined something like this could happen.Before the police arrived, local people who were present helped the injured and took some of them to Sassoon Hospital. It was truly unfortunate and devastating.”
The writer is an intern with Indian Express.
