Additional SP, Mhow, Manish Kapuria informed that some villagers on Sunday morning sneaked into the firing range to collect the remains of exploded bombs from which they extract brass and lead by further breaking it into pieces. In the process, they also got hold of some live bombs which had remained unexploded in the last night firing by the Army jawans.

While they were trying to break this live bombs, it exploded with a massive bang, killing three persons on the spot, while injuring two others seriously. The impact of the blast was so strong that all the bodies of all three deceased broke into pieces. The deceased were identified as Nandkishore (30), son of Shivcharan Lodhi, Bhupendra (35), son of Dulichand and Gordhan (32), also son of Dulichand respectively, while those who sustained severe injuries included Rakesh, son of Dulichand and Prem, son of Raju Lodh respectively.

Of all the five victims, three were brothers, two of them died on the spot, while one sustained severe injuries. The injured persons were admitted to Vishwa Shanti hospital in Mhow and their condition were stated to be serious till filing this report. The police arrived at the incident site after about one-and-a-half hour when they were informed about the incident by a chowkidar. By the time a police team led by Bargonda police station incharge Narendra Raghuvanshi arrived there, three persons had already died, while two of them were battling with lives before they were rushed to a local hospital in Mhow. The incident caused a shock wave at Bercha village from where the victims belonged.

This was not an isolated case of deaths at Bercha firing range. In the past few years, over a dozen persons succumbed to similar incidents while collecting exploded bomb material there. ASP, Mhow, Manish Kapuria said that Hema and Bercha firing ranges which are used by the Army jawans for firing purposes, are prohibited areas. Villagers surrounding these firing ranges, were quiet often cautioned not to enter the prohibited areas as it may imperil their lives. However, caring too hoots for the warnings, they (villagers) sneak into the area and collect exploded bomb parts from there so as to extract lead and brass material from it, Kapuria told this correspondent.

Police sources informed that the Army jawans carried out firing practices at Bercha firing range on Saturday night and it continued till 1 am. During their practices, some bombs remained unexploded and it ultimately claimed lives of three persons on Sunday.