Because of the blast, the closed shutter of the office was hurled several feet away (Express Photo)Over 90 handmade bombs which were seized by the Maharashtra state Forest Department went off in the early hours of Wednesday leading to a major explosion at the closed office of the department near Pune. No casualties were reported in the explosion as the office was locked at the time.
As per the information provided by Pune rural police, the incident took place around 4 am at the rented office of the Forest Department in Paud, around 30 kilometres from Pune city. Inspector Ashok Dhumal of Paud police station said, “These handmade bombs have explosive powder and small stones and are used to illegal hunting of wildlife. Around 90 such bombs were seized from Tamhini Wildlife Sanctuary by forest officials. While a case in this regard was filed, these bombs were stored at Forest Department’s rented office in Paud.”
(Express Photo)Inspector Dhumal added, “Around 4 am, around 90 such bombs went off due to some unknown reason. It could be because of rodents, or improper storage. The intensity of the blast of high and could have proved fatal if any humans would have been there. A probe has been launched.”
Because of the blast, the closed shutter of the office was hurled several feet away and furniture and other things inside the office were badly damaged. A portion of the wall also sustained cracks. Forest officials said that an inquiry would be conducted into the incident.
Officials said that these handmade bombs are used by the poachers for killing wild boars and other wildlife. They are also used by the villagers in the vicinity of forests to kill wildlife or stay dogs. The bombs are packed in a way that when the wild animal chews it, it explodes leading to instant death of the animal.
