Man killed in mortar explosion after entering army firing range in Assam: Police

The man, identified as Khempo Narzary, a resident of Hartola village under Darangamela police station, had entered to collect the remnants of explosives, said police

A 32-year-old man was killed in an explosion caused by a mortar after he wandered into an army training session area in Assam’s Tamulpur, police said.

Police said the incident took place on Wednesday evening at the Sukanjuli firing range near the Indo-Bhutan border (Representative Photo)

Police said the incident took place on Wednesday evening at the Sukanjuli firing range near the Indo-Bhutan border, where the army’s Punjab Regiment and Madras Regiment troops were conducting their regular armed training session.

The man, identified as Khempo Narzary, a resident of Hartola village under Darangamela police station, had entered to collect the remnants of explosives, said police. He died after he attempted to break an 81-mortar bomb.

Upon receiving the information, local police arrived at the spot. They took Narzary to a nearby government hospital, where the doctors declared him dead.

“His body was sent for postmortem, and it will be handed over to the family members after finishing the mandatory activities. We are investigating the matter further, and some locals will be interrogated,” a police officer aware of the matter said.

Police said the area is dedicated to army training sessions, and a warning is always issued before they begin.

“Locals are prohibited to enter these areas, but sometimes people enter illegally to collect remains of the explosives. We issued a fresh warning before the session started and announcements were made,” said the superintendent of police (SP), Tamulpur district, Pankaj Yadav.

Yadav on Thursday told HT that the army’s practice session area is vast, and they fire bombs with the artillery targeting a range over 1,000 meters.

“It is nearly impossible to see if a person is standing a kilometre away, so the firing at the person was completely unintentional. The man who died illegally entered the area during firing, which resulted in the unfortunate incident,” Yadav said.

According to the police, villagers living near the forest area often wander around the army-prohibited areas to collect the remains of explosives.

Some locals on Thursday protested against the death, however, no reaction has yet come from the Indian Army.