RANCHI: Tension gripped Jamshedpur after an unexploded 500-pound bomb was found along the banks of the Subarnarekha River near Panipara–Nagudsaai under Baharagora block on Wednesday.
According to reports, locals noticed the suspicious object on Wednesday immediately alerted the authorities, prompting a swift response from the administration.
The bomb, which appeared like a gas cylinder, was unearthed when the locals were excavating sand on the Panipada-Nagudsai stretch under Baharagora police station area. Police said that the object, roughly the size and shape of a gas cylinder, carries markings such as “AN-M64 500 lb… American… unexploded,” suggesting it is an old US-made bomb that remained inactive for years.
As a precaution, police have secured the area and advised residents to stay away from the site and avoid any contact with the object.
“We have sought assistance from the Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal for cooperation in the investigation. The bomb disposal squad has been also called in for assistance,” said Officer in-charge of Bahgragora Police Station Shankar Prasad Kushwaha.
Only bomb disposal squad could reveal further details of the bomb, he added.
The officer in-charge also informed that a similar bomb was found in the area in the year1955. Officials suspect that the bomb may be linked to a past military aircraft crash in the Mahuldangri region, possibly having fallen into the river and remained buried over time. Given the magnitude of the explosive and the potential risk involved, officials have described the situation as highly sensitive. Security has been tightened in the area, with strict vigilance being maintained until experts arrive to assess and safely defuse the device.