A class 2 student mistook a bomb for a toy which was lying out in the open leading to his death and leaving others injured. The incident occured in West Bengal’s Murshidabad on Thursday (4th January).
8-year-old Muklesur Rahaman of Chaudanga village, a student of Chaudanga Primary School, spotted a ball-like object sometime in the afternoon. He picked up the bomb thinking it was a toy and threw it at a wall in front of him sparking a loud explosion that took his life.
According to a report by etvbharat, local police and sources said that the incident happened during school hours after the mid-day meal break. Several other children were left injured.
Some other reports say that the incident happened after the boy returned home from school and found a “metal object” lying by a pond nearby.
Muklesur was taken to the Murshidabad Medical College Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Three other injured students have been admitted to the hospital.
“I rushed to the spot after hearing the sound of the bomb blast and was shocked to see. The act of keeping a bomb near the school is unforgivable,” said Ansar Sheikh, a local.
The incident has reportedly angered the locals. The Daulatabad police rushed to the spot and conducted a search operaion.
Murshidabad is notorious for bomb blasts and bomb making. Several blasts rocked the city after the state panchayat elections leading to several casualties and severe injuries.
In November 2023, three children mistook a bomb lying near a pond for a ball and picked it up. They began walking with it to the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) centre for their daily meal when it dropped and went off.
Similarly, in September 2023, a child was killed while playing with a bomb mistaking it for a toy in the Salar area.
Five children were injured in Murshidabad in June 2023 while playing with a bomb mistaking it for a toy.