Kargil, July 29: A 14-year-old boy was tragically killed on Monday when an old unexploded shell detonated in the Pandrass area of Drass, Kargil district, police reported.
The incident occurred when the boy, Ahmad Raza, son of Farooq Ahmad, a resident of Rajouri, was grazing cattle near Targali, approximately 2.5 kilometers from Pandrass. According to the in-charge police official at Minamarg Check Post, the boy, belonging to a nomadic family, picked up the unexploded shell, which then went off, killing him instantly.
Following the explosion, a police team along with Army personnel reached the site. They discovered two more unexploded shells in the vicinity. These shells are believed to date back to the Kargil War of 1999.
Ahmad Raza’s family, being nomadic, had been staying in the area for only two months. Police have launched an investigation into the incident to determine further details, he said.
The in-charge police officer stated that the body has been taken for medico-legal formalities and has subsequently been handed over to the family for the last rites.
