Bengal: Child mistakes crude bomb for ball, injured in explosion

Kolkata, Dec 25 (IANS) A child was seriously injured in a crude bomb explosion after he mistook it for a ball, said the police on Thursday.

The incident occurred in the Basanti area in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district late Wednesday night.

The child has been brought to Kolkata and admitted to a hospital where he is receiving treatment. His condition is said to be serious. The police have launched an investigation to find out the source of the bomb and how it was left in the area.

According to the police, the incident occurred in the Kharimachhan area under the Amjhara Gram Panchayat area of Basanti block. Local residents said the child was playing inside an abandoned house when suddenly, the sound of an explosion was heard.

People who were near the house rushed to the scene and found the child lying injured. However, it is still not clear how the crude bomb ended up inside the abandoned house.

Officers from Basanti police station arrived at the scene after being informed and started an investigation. Sources said there were fragments of the exploded bomb everywhere inside the house.

The area has been cordoned off. The house was examined by the forensic teams, which arrived at the scene in the morning.

A police picket was set up in the area after the incident.

A senior officer of Baruipur Police District said, “A child was injured after he mistook a crude bomb for a ball. As he was playing with the bomb, it exploded. The injured child has been taken to a private hospital in Kolkata for treatment. The child was seriously injured. We have started an investigation into the matter and are trying to ascertain how the crude bomb ended up in that abandoned house. Forensic team members are examining the scene of the explosion and taking evidence. The locals are being questioned for further information.”

–IANS

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