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4 killed in army ordnance depot blast in Jalandhar

Police said the blast occurred when a 13 mm artillery shell fell out of its casing in the Army Dusting Labortary in the 23 Field Ammunition Depot around noon.

The explosion led to fire which left four civilian employees of the 23 FAD dead and six others injured.

Police said the explosion occurred deep inside 23 FAD (Field Ammunition Depot) which has since been sealed off by the army.

The blast occurred when a civilian contractor's staff was transporting ammunition from one place to another inside the depot, during the process, a bomb reportedly dropped out of its shell and exploded.

Reports said four of the injured were taken to military hospital in Jalandhar Cantonment and as many were admitted to the Sacred Heart's Charitable Hospital, located opposite the depot.

Those admitted at the Sacred Heart's Hospital were identified as Saudagar Masih, Ram Parkash, Ashok Kumar and another by the same name (Ashok Kumar).

Nobody was allowed to meet the injured who reportedly suffered burns, according to the hospital sources.

While army in their official interaction with the district authorities maintained that there was no explosion but only a fire which occurred in repair workshop of the ordnance depot, police said the fire was caused by a blast.

Police authorities said that they did not suspect it to be a case of sabotage.

All those killed and injured identified so far were civilians working through a contractor in the depot, the sources added.

UNI

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