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Three children injured in crude bomb explosion in Bengal’s Berhampore
Villagers said that the three boys were playing cricket in a field. One of them had hit the cricket ball which landed in an adjacent farmland full of sunflower plants. All three went to look for the ball and found a ball-like object lying in the farm. When they picked it up assuming it to be a ball and threw it, the explosion took place.
Three boys, aged between 11 and 14 years, were injured when they lobbed a crude bomb assuming it was a ball at Berhampore in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Saturday morning.
The victims have been identified as Mamun Ali, 11, Ashik Sheikh, 14 and Jewel Sheikh, 12. The injured were rushed to the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. Doctors said that Mamum could be referred to a hospital in Kolkata as his condition was critical.
Villagers said that the three boys were playing cricket in a field. One of them had hit the cricket ball which landed in an adjacent farmland full of sunflower plants. All three went to look for the ball and found a ball-like object lying in the farm.
When they picked it up assuming it to be a ball and threw it, the explosion took place. The three sustained splinter injuries.
Asif’s father Mirjuwan Mondal said, “My son was playing in the field with some other boys. I rushed to the field after getting the sound of the explosion. I have no idea who left the bomb in the field.”
Elections to at least seven civic bodies in Murshidabad, including Berhampur municipal body are pending and are likely to be held in February. Locals said that goons backed by political parties may be hoarding crude bombs ahead of the polls.
A few days ago one person was killed and a few others were injured when some crude bombs went off in a field at Beldanga in the same district.
“Three children have been injured in an explosion. A case has been initiated and we are probing the incident,” said an officer of Berhampore police station.
