A 23-year-old Palghar resident died after a gelatin stick exploded in his hand on Saturday. The victim, Ganesh Raghunath Wanga, and his friend had planned to throw the stick in Surya river for ‘blast fishing.’

‘Dynamite or blast fishing’ refers to the practice of dropping explosives in water bodies to stun or kill fish. After the explosives go off, the fish float to the surface of the water and the fishermen can collect them from there.

However, the explosive burst while Wanga was still holding it, causing severe injuries to his right hand. He was then taken to a hospital in Vasai, but succumbed to injuries.

Parts of the explosive had entered his body, which led to his death, said Siddhawa Jaybhaye, assistant inspector, Manor police station. Hemendra Patil, a social activist from Boisar, said “Using gelatin sticks for fishing is illegal, but they are commonly smuggled from Gujarat.”

He added that the use of gelatin sticks is regulated by the Explosives Act and the Mines and Minerals Act.

Most commonly used for blasting operations in stone quarries, use of the explosives requires approval from the government, he said. A case has been registered under section 174 (death under mysterious circumstances) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the body has been sent for post-mortem.

First Published: Mar 04, 2019 00:43 IST