Three more live fuses recovered in south Kashmir

Srinagar, May 23 (UNI) Three more fuses were recovered in south Kashmir where people in about a dozen villages are living in fear due to the presence of unexploded shells and explosives in the fields and other places.

This was the fourth time live fuses were detected and defused in the south Kashmir villages during the past two weeks.

Panic gripped today in Pahloo Shaguns, village Achabal in south Kashmir district of Anantnag when three live fuses were detected by local residents.

The area was immediately cordoned off and people in the area were shifted to safer places.

Later, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) defused the fuses without causing any damage.

The fuse 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 BAS ASM LS HT1620