GURDASPUR: One person was killed and six others injured after a crude explosive device, allegedly made at home, exploded at Dharmabad village in Gurdaspur district during Bandi Chhor Divas celebrations on Tuesday night.According to Ashok Sharma, SHO, Dera Baba Nanak police station, the victims belonged to the families of brothers Gurnam Singh and Satnam Singh, who could not afford traditional firecrackers due to financial constraints.
In an attempt to create their own celebratory device, they used an iron pipe stuffed with suspected explosive, believed to be potash, which detonated during ignition.The explosion left seven family members injured, including two women. All victims were initially taken to a local hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Amritsar. One of the injured, identified as Mandeep, son of Satnam Singh, succumbed to his injuries, the SHO said.“The exact nature of the explosive and how it was procured is still under investigation, as all the family members are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital,” Sharma added.Local sources revealed that such desi devices were typically made by stuffing gunpowder or similar explosives into iron pipes.
