New Delhi: A teenager lost his life and two others were injured when an unexploded gunpowder shell detonated at the Army Firing Range in Jaitpur village, Datia, on Friday morning. The two injured people are also minors. The trio had been scavenging for scrap metal in the restricted area when the explosion occurred.
The deceased, 17-year-old Ganga Ram, son of Dalu, was with his companions—23-year-old Ramu, son of Ghanshyam, and 16-year-old Manoj, son of Feran, on their hunt for discarded materials at the Hirapur Army Firing Range in Jaitpur, located under the Basai police station jurisdiction. At around 9 am, they encountered an old unexploded gunpowder shell, Times of India reported.
1 dead, 2 injured
As they tried to open it, the shell exploded, instantly killing Ganga Ram and injuring Ramu and Manoj. The locals immediately alerted the authorities, and the injured minors were rushed to Jhansi Medical College for treatment. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
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The Jaitpur firing range is used by the army for training exercises, during which unexploded shells sometimes remain in the area. Although the site is restricted, civilians occasionally enter, unaware of the dangers. On the morning of the explosion, the group of youths entered the range and started tampering with unexploded ordnance, leading to the deadly blast. Police and military officials are investigating the matter and aiming to prevent further unauthorised access to the area.
2 soldiers killed in blast
Last year, two soldiers, Ashutosh Mishra from Deoria (UP) and Jitendra from Dausa (Rajasthan), were killed in a blast while loading ammunition in a tank during a training exercise at Bikaner’s Mahajan field firing range on Wednesday. Another soldier was injured and airlifted to Chandigarh for treatment. Police responded quickly to the incident. It was the second such incident in a week at the range after the death of gunner Chandra Prakash Patel in an accident on Sunday.
