MUZAFFARGARH: Two people were seriously injured in an alleged bid to extract metal from a mortar bomb, mistaking it for an empty shell, at a workshop, when it resulted in a blast near Chowk Sarwar Shaheed on Saturday night.

According to the initial police inquiry, a man identified as Javed Hussain, visited a metal workshop at Adda Riaz Abad, Chowk Sarwar Shaheed around midnight carrying two mortar bombs and asked the welder, Safdar, to cut those for extraction of metal. He convinced the welder that those were only empty shells and there was no harm in cutting the objects.

As the welder started cutting one of the shells, it exploded with a bang, leaving both of them seriously injured.

They were shifted by locals to the tehsil headquarters hospital from where the doctors referred them to the Nishtar Hospital Multan for treatment, given their serious condition.

Chowk Sarwar Shaheed police have registered the case under Explosives Act 1884 and section 324 of the PPC against Javed and Safdar, while a bomb disposal team took the other explosive in custody for examination.

Police are investigating from where the suspects procured the bombs.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2021