Khag (Budgam) July 8: A 40-year old man was killed and his wife sustained critical injuries when an artillery shell exploded in their makeshift shelter at Tosamaidan here in central Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.  
 They said Ali Muhammad Khan son of Sulla Khan had collected artillery, mortar scrap from Tosamaidan firing range and brought the material to his makeshift shelter last evening. “An unexploded shell went off killing Khan on the spot. His wife Zeba sustained critical injuries in the explosion,” officials added.   
 After completing all legal formalities Khan’s body was handed over to his relatives for last rites. The injured woman was treated by the Army doctors and her condition is stated to be stable.
 Pertinently, locals a few days back had staged massive protests against the Artillery regiment of Army, which undertakes artillery drill in Tosamaidan area of Budgam, when an artillery shell exploded in air and injured a few villagers including a woman Fatima seriously.  
 The artillery shells are fired from the banks of Sukhnag river near Chill village in Khag area towards Tosamaidan which has been declared as a firing range by the Army. 
 In the past four decades scores of people have died in the area due to the explosions caused by shells. There are more than two dozen people who have been left permanently disabled in Chell , Shonglipora , Drang , Sutaharan and other adjoining villages located on the foot hills of Tosmaidan which is huge pasture located on the Pir Panchal mountain range. The shells which remain unexploded during the firing drills are hidden under bushes and rocks in the Tosamaidan pastures. During rainy season these shells come down towards the villages and pose a threat to locals.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 8 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 8 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 9 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST