MP's Mhow Villager, 55, Seriously Injured In Bomb Blast At Berchha Firing Range While Collecting Firewood, Referred To Indore's MY Hospital

Mhow (Madhya Pradesh): A 55-year-old villager sustained serious injuries after a bomb exploded in the forest of Berchha firing range on Monday. He was initially taken to Madhya Bharat Hospital in Mhow and later referred to MY Hospital in Indore after primary treatment.

The injured was identified as Hazarilal Girwal, a resident of Kailod Kuti. His son Akash said his father had gone to the forest on Monday morning to collect firewood when he came in contact with a bomb lying there.

Around 1 pm, Hazarilal called his son, saying he had been hit by a bullet. Akash and other villagers rushed to the forest and found him with serious injuries on his back. The family immediately took him to Madhya Bharat Hospital, from where doctors referred him to Indore.

Badgonda police learnt about the incident after Hazarilal reached the hospital. Police station in-charge Prakash Vaskale said statements of his son and other family members were being recorded and further action was underway.

Similar incidents have occurred repeatedly at Berchha firing range, where villagers collecting firewood or grazing cattle have suffered injuries, with several losing their lives.

Unexploded bombs are often left in the forest after Army firing exercises. Some villagers collect them for scrap metal, including iron, copper and brass, risking explosions while extracting the metal. Despite repeated warnings by the Army and police against entering the firing range, villagers continue to venture into the area.