Boy killed in blast, three others injured

Three other boys sustained injuries in the blast and the condition of one of them was reported to be critical.

A 10-year-old boy was killed when a crude bomb exploded at Davidpet near Uppalam in Puducherry this evening.

HT Image

Three other boys sustained injuries in the blast and the condition of one of them was reported to be critical.

V Ajithkumar was playing with his friends L Soosainathan, C Kartikraja and T Senthamizhselvan in the vicinity of their houses, when they spotted a "coconut-shaped" substance kept in a plastic cover, police said.

As they picked it up, the bomb exploded and Ajitkumar was killed on the spot. Others who were standing close to him were injured. They were immediately taken to the government hospital here.

Hospital authorities told PTI that condition of one of the injured boys was critical while the other two were showing improvement.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a man was arrested for throwing a crude bomb at a house in the same village, a few hours before the explosion.

Enmity between two groups was said to be the reason behind hurling of the bomb. Nobody was injured in the explosion, police said.

Uppalam MLA A Anbalagan who visited the injured boys at the hospital later asked the government to order a judicial inquiry into the explosions.