Boy killed, 5 injured in Bengal as mortar shell carried by floodwaters explodes

Jalpaiguri/Siliguri/Gangtok, October 6

A boy was killed and five others were injured in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district as a mortar shell reportedly carried by the floodwaters of Teesta river exploded, police said on Friday.

Initial reports had said that two persons were killed.

Police believe that the mortar shell belonged to the Army and was carried by floodwaters flowing down the hills following a cloudburst and flash floods in neighbouring Sikkim on Wednesday.

Local police sources said the explosion took place at Champadanga village in Kranti block on Thursday evening when one person took the mortar shell home to sell it as scrap metal and tried to break it open.

A boy identified as Sainur Alam was killed while five others, including another boy and two women, were injured.

“The injured persons have been admitted to a hospital. A thorough probe has started. The condition of at least two of the injured persons is extremely critical. The toll might increase,” a police officer said.

A Defence official said that the Army has set up lookout teams all along the river downstream.

Both the army and civil administration have been looking for missing persons and equipment lost in the flash flood.

One Nabiul Islam, a local, claimed that they recovered a box containing equipment when they were trying to collect wood from the floodwaters flowing down the Teesta river on Thursday evening.

He said that security personnel came to the village and took away the box after the villagers informed the panchayat pradhan, who in turn alerted the authorities.

There was no official comment on the development so far.

Meanwhile, the Jalpaiguri Police has issued an advisory urging people not to handle any firearm or explosive flowing down the river.

“In light of the severe flooding in Sikkim, certain military equipment including firearms and explosives were carried by the Teesta River. We urge the public to be vigilant and report any unfamiliar objects, crates, packages, firearms or any suspicious items seen floating in the water to the nearest police station immediately.

“Please refrain from handling these items in any manner, as they pose a potential risk of a dangerous explosion,” the notice stated.

The Sikkim government has also urged a similar warning, asking people to be careful if they venture into the Teesta River basin as there could be explosives and ammunition lying under the muddy waters.

“These ammunition should not be handled or picked up inadvertently as they could explode causing grievous injuries,” the Land Revenue & Disaster Management Department said in an advisory.

The local people were directed to bring to the notice of the district administration and related authorities in the event of detection of explosive materials in the river basin.