The Centre has sounded a nationwide alert in wake of the blast in Varanasi. Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said that general alert has been sent to all state governments and they have been asked to stay on high alert. The Chief Minister Mayawati visited blast site late last night and also met injured admitted in different hospitals. She said that the guilty would not be spared. In a statement issued last night at Lucknow she said the affected people would be given adequate compensation. One girl child was killed and about 21 others including four foreigners injured in a bomb explosion and stampede last evening in Varanasi. Official sources said the blast took place at Dashashwamedh ghat on the bank of the river Ganga at about 6-30 pm. Police sources said the blast occurred when thousands of devotees and the foreign tourists had assembled at the ghat for having darshan of the Ganga Arti. AIR Lucknow correspondent reports that explosive was kept under besiege of stones on the stairs of ghat. Additional Director General Police of the state Brij Lal told reporters in Lucknow that the authenticity of claim of Indian Mujahideen for carrying out the blast is being verified. He said that Forensic teams from Agra rushed to Varanasi for detailed investigations. The Vice-President Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi have condemned the blast. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that it is an attempt to weaken India's resolve to fight the evil forces of terrorism. He appealed to people to maintain calm and peace. Dr Singh said the government will provide succor to the familes suffered in the incident.Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said, Government condemns the attempt to disturb the peace and harmony by a misguided group which appears to have planted a low- intensity device in one of the ghats in Varanasi. Meanwhile, the terrorist outift Indian Mujahidin has claimed responsibility of the Varanasi blast that claimed one life and injured 25 others. The e-mail claiming involvement of Indian Mujahidin was reportedly sent from Malad in Mumbai. The e-mail was sent through hacked wi-fi connection at the office of Airtel Bharati, on sixth floor of Interface building near Bangur Nagar Link Road in Malad, police informed to AIR correspondent. ATS officials raided the premises last evening.