Seven-year-old dies, 5 injured after mortar shell explodes in WB’s Jalpaiguri

A seven-year-old child died and five others were injured after a mortar shell exploded in the Chhapadanga area of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal on Thursday.

According to the sources, the incident happened barely hours after the Sikkim government issued an advisory urging people not to pick up any explosives or ammunition found in the Teesta basin.

Meanwhile a statement from the police officials says that the shell exploded at Chhapadanga in the Kranti block of Jalpaiguri district on Thursday evening. The deceased has been identified as 7-year-old Sahinur Alam.

While sharing the details about the incident, one of the police officials said, “A few children had gone to collect firewood near the Teesta River when they came upon a mortar shell floating in the waters. They picked it up and brought it home. It is believed that the shell belonged to the Indian Army and got swept away by the river after the cloudburst on Wednesday night.”

Meanwhile, the five people who got injured in the incident have been shifted to the Jalpaiguri Hospital and North Bengal Hospital where they are currently undergoing treatment.

More details are awaited.