Panic in south Kashmir after recovery of 3 live fuses

Srinagar, May 21 (UNI) Panic gripped village Khandroo in south Kashmir district of Anantnag when three live fuses were detected by local residents this morning.

The area was immediately cordoned off and residents were shifted to safer places.

Later, police with the help of Central Bomb Disposal Team (CBDT) defused all the three live fuses without causing any damage.

This was the third time live fuses were detected and defused in the area during the past two weeks.

The fuses had remained unexploded during the devastating fire in the ammunition depot at Khandroo in August last year, that left more than 20 people, mostly army fire-fighters dead and scores injured.

About half a dozen civilians were also killed or wounded after they touched the unexploded shells in about a dozen villages.

The Army authorities pressed into service about 100 BDS, brought from different parts of the country, to defuse the unexploded shells in the affected villages before the residents were allowed to return to their homes after about a month.

However, there are still unexploded fuses and other shells in the fields in these villages.

UNI XC ASM SP US1552