By IANS,
Panchkula (Haryana) : Three teenagers were killed and 12 others injured when a shell exploded here Sunday, police said.
“Three boys, aged 13 to 16 years, have died while 12 children were injured after the shell exploded. The injured have been admitted to a government hospital here. The condition of two injured boys is serious,” Baljeet Singh, investigating officer, told IANS.
According to police, the incident occurred at Azad Colony, a slum, around 10 km from Chandigarh.
“There is an army cantonment adjoining this area. There is a possibility that an unexploded shell floated down a canal and was discovered by the boys. These children were trying to break the shell to sell it to a scrap dealer,” Singh said.
Two boys died on the spot while the third succumbed to injuries at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.
Indian Army’s Western Command headquarters is situated at Chandi Mandir, 2 km from here.
Meanwhile, Shyam Lal, an eyewitness to the incident, said: “I saw these boys playing with an unusual metal object. After few minutes, I heard a deafening noise. We rushed to the spot and found these boys bleeding profusely.”