Pokhran, March 20
Three soldiers were killed and two injured when the barrel of a mortar burst during the Army’s largest field war games, Brazen Chariots, here yesterday.
Sources said the incident took place at around 2 pm yesterday while a light artillery regiment was undertaking range-firing practice. A senior officer at Army Headquarters said they were trying to ascertain the regiment the soldiers belonged to.
Earlier, a demonstration of 120-mm mortar firing was given to a visiting team of defence attaches, Army brass, including Gen Deepak Kapoor, mediapersons and bureaucrats. It is not yet known whether the incident took place in the regiment that had held the demonstration.
The sources said the particular mortar had fired 19 rounds. As the 20th round was being loaded, there was an explosion in the lower part of the barrel, causing it to burst.
According to an officer, initial investigations have placed the probability of the barrel being over-heated or that of “double loading” being low.
The other possibility of the explosion could be defective ammunition. The Army has ordered a court of inquiry into the incident.
