The Centre has sounded a nationwide alert in the wake of the blast in Varanasi. Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said a general alert has been sent to all state governments asking them to stay on high alert. UP Chief Minister Mayawati visited the blast site late last night and also met the injured admitted in different hospitals. She said 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 were injured in the bomb explosion and stampede in Varanasi last evening. Official sources said, the blast took place at Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of 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 the explosive was kept under a besiege of stones on the stairs of the Ghat. Police said the authenticity of the claim of Indian Mujahideen for carrying out the blast is being verified. Forensic teams from Agra have rushed to Varanasi for detailed investigations.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 said ATS officials raided the premises last evening.AIR Mumbai correspondent reports the city and state has been put on a high alert following the blasts and its links to Mumbai.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 the people to maintain calm and peace. Dr Singh said the government will provide succor to the families suffered in the incident.Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said, the Government condemns the attemptto 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.The Police said in lucknow today that, the low-intensity bomb used in the blast did not have shrapnels in it and all the injured were hit by pieces of wall that broke following the explosion.The bomb kept near the steps leading to the Dashashwamedh Ghat was placed in such a way that the maximum impact was directed to the ground where the 'arti' was being held yesterday evening.An Improvised Explosive Device was recovered from a metal dustbin at the site of the blast. Forensic experts are examining the blast scene to find clues about the exact nature of the explosives used.Union Home Minister P Chidambaram visited the blast site today to take first hand account of incident in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. He also met with injured in blast admitted in different hospitals. Local senior civil and police officials briefed him about the blast and measures taken for security and treatment of injured.The Minority Affairs Minister Mr. Salman Khurshid while condemning the terror attack in Varanasi said that the people have reacted to the incidents in a very sensible manner. He said people remained peaceful and there was no rumour mongering. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi today.Strongly condemning the terror attack, the Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said that the guilty will be brought to book. He also alleged that the BJP was politicizing the issue.The BJP has asked the government to take effective steps to prevent terrorist attacks in the country. The party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that those responsible for blast in Varanasi should be brought to book.The JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav described the attack as an attempt to create disharmony between two communities.The CPIM leader Sitaram Yechury also called for action against the culprits behind the attack.