Jharkhand: Army defuses 227-kg World War II-era bomb in controlled operation

Baharagora, March 25 (IANS) The Indian Army on Wednesday successfully defused a 227-kg World War II-era bomb recovered from the Subarnarekha River in Baharagora, located in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district.

The bomb is believed to have been dropped during World War-II and remained buried under layers of river sand for decades. It came to light during sand excavation about five to six days ago, triggering panic among local residents and prompting swift action by the administration and security agencies.

Authorities were alerted after images of youths posing with the missile-like explosive went viral on social media, raising serious safety concerns.

Taking immediate cognisance, the administration called in a specialised Indian Army team led by Lieutenant Colonel Dharmendra Singh and Captain Ayush Kumar Singh. The team conducted a detailed assessment of the bomb’s structure, condition, and the surrounding terrain before initiating the disposal process.

Following standard safety protocols, a 10-foot-deep pit was excavated using a JCB machine, and hundreds of sandbags were arranged to create a protective barrier to contain the impact of the blast. A 1.5-km radius around the site was cordoned off, and residents from nearby houses and fields were evacuated as a precaution.

Since Tuesday morning, the area had been turned into a high-security zone, with personnel from the police, Jharkhand Jaguar, fire services, and health department deployed on-site. Ambulances were kept ready, and all access routes to the river were barricaded to prevent civilian movement during the operation.

In the final phase, the Army’s bomb disposal squad neutralised the device through a carefully-executed controlled blast. The operation concluded without any casualties or damage.

Experts cautioned that even decades-old unexploded ordnance can remain highly volatile and pose significant risks if disturbed.

Meanwhile, another similar bomb was recovered from a nearby village, where locals had brought it home after finding it in the river. That device was also safely defused by the Army.

For over a week, fear had gripped villages along the Subarnarekha River, disrupting daily activities and livestock movement. With the successful completion of the operation, normalcy is gradually returning, and residents have expressed relief.

--IANS

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