A teenager was killed and two injured when a gunpowder shell blasted at the Army Firing Range in Jaitpur village, Datia, Madhya Pradesh on Friday.
Two of those hurt were also minors. These three had been gathering scrap metal at the restricted firing range when the dire blast took place. The injured have been transported to Jhansi Medical College for treatment.
17-year-old Ganga Ram was accompanied by his companions—23-year-old Ramu and 16-year-old Manoj—on Friday morning while collecting the scraped metals at the Hirapur Army Firing Range located in Jaitpur village, within the jurisdiction of the Basai police station precinct of Datia.
Around 9 am, the teenagers came across an obsolete, unexploded gunpowder shell. While trying to open it, the shell blasted, murdering Ganga Ram on the spot. Ramu and Manoj suffered lethal injuries.
The locals called the police, and the injured were rushed to the Jhansi Medical College in critical condition. Police were investigating the incident.
Police stated that the Jaitpur firing range is mainly used by army personnel for training exercises. During these sessions, unexploded shells are sometimes abandoned in the region. Despite security measures, people sometimes enter into the restricted zone, unaware of the potential threat.
Police and army officials have since initiated an investigation into the mishap and are working to prevent further unauthorised access to the shooting zone in the future.
