five more live Bofors fuses recovered in south Kashmir

Srinagar, May 24(UNI) The Central Bomb Disposal Squad (CBDS) averted a major tragedy when they detected and defused five live Bofors fuses in south Kashmir, a police spokesman said today.

He said in its continuous drive in the affected villages, the CBDS detected five live fuses at village Nowgam. The area was cordoned off and later the fuses were destroyed without causing any damage.

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

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 LS KP1523