CHENNAI: A 21-year-old engineering student died on the spot and four of his college friends were injured after an unexploded shell accidentally blew up near Anumanthapuram firing range near Singaperumal Koil on Monday evening. The group, which was on an illegal trekking expedition at the place, may have tossed the object against a rock, triggering the blast, police said.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the area is used for firing practice by central security forces, and the explosive is suspected to be an unexploded shell left behind.
Police said the incident occurred around 5.30 pm when the six students, who had arrived on three two-wheelers, trekked up the hill near the restricted firing range without permission.
The deceased was identified as Himanshu Yadav of Bengaluru, a fourth-year electrical and electronics engineering student of SRM Engineering College. He suffered grievous injuries to his chest, shoulder and arm, and died on the spot.
While Vishal Venugopal (21), a fourth-year mechanical engineering student from Hyderabad, suffered severe injuries to his left arm and fingers, Aryan Sharma (21) of Uttar Pradesh, Krishna Siraj Mahajan (21) from Jammu, and Nishkas Niraj (21) from New Delhi sustained injuries. Another student, Virat Sanjay Kumar (23) of Meerut, escaped unhurt.
A 108 ambulance rushed the injured to SRM Hospital in Potheri, where they are undergoing treatment.
The Singaperumal Koil police registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and launched an investigation. Senior police officials visited the spot and conducted an inquiry.
Further investigation is under way to ascertain how the explosive device remained in the area.