Dumped explosive blows up on woman, son in Faizabad

LUCKNOW: A woman and her son were killed and her two younger kids were grievously injured while trying to knock down an explosive device in Faizabad Cantonment area on Thursday afternoon. The woman, Reena (30), died as the spot,while her son Raj (8) was declared brought dead to the hospital. Reen’s two other children, Atul (7) and Manju (5) were battling for their lives at the district hospital.
According to police, Reena, Raj, Atul, and Manju were dismantling a grenade or mortar shell to extract brass when it exploded suddenly.Around 3pm, a blast was heard in Nirmali Kund area on the banks of Saryu under Cantonment police station area after which locals informed police and fire department.
SHO Cantonment Ram Kishan Rana said that when the police team reached the spot, it found that the house had been badly damaged.
“The ripped-off body of a woman was recovered. The woman was identified as Reena while Raj was found buried under the rubble. They were taken to hospital where Raj was declared brought dead,” said Rana. Faizabad SP City Anil Kumar Singh Sisodia told TOI, “The woman Rina Nishad and her son Raj died while two children Atul and Manju are critically injured.”
Local police officials said that locals living in slums near Cantonment enter the prohibited areas of firing range and collect shells of fired bullets, grenades or mortar shells containing brass, other metals and alloys which they extract to sell off.
According to locals, this was not the first time when this kind of incident had taken place in the area.
On February 15, 2016, two people had died in similar situation. The government had announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the two victims from a slum near Cantonment area.
“Similar incidents have occurred in the past also. This is the third such incident in last three years,” said KC Tiwari, a retired intelligence officer.