Gaya (Bihar): Three people were killed and as many injured after a cannonball fired during a military exercise landed in Gular Bed village in Bihar's Gaya district on Wednesday.
As per the inputs received by ETV Bharat, three people of the same family died in the incident while at least three others were injured. Soon after the incident, top police and administration officials reached the area and took stock of the situation. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.
The incident happened on Wednesday morning turning a festive Holi atmosphere into total gloom. The army's practice firing range runs in Trilokpur of Dobhi block of Gaya. The adjacent villages are affected by this firing range and often cannonballs fall outside the firing range area. The shell this time, however, landed and exploded near the house of one Govind Manjhi in Gular Bed village under the Barachatti police station area on Wednesday.
Three people including Govind, his daughter Kanchan and son-in-law Suraj Kumar died in the incident. Three other people -- Geeta Kumari, Pintu Manjhi, Raso Devi -- were seriously injured and are being treated at Magadh Medical College Hospital. The family was celebrating Holi when the shell landed close to the house leading to the casualties. Following the incident, angry villagers protested against the administration.
"After we received the information, the officers left for Gular Bed village. We can only come up with a statement after the initial investigation of the incident. Forward action is being taken by the police," SSP Gaya Ashish Bharti said.
Also read: MH: Three killed, several injured in a firecracker factory explosion in Solapur