TIRUCHY: A ROCKET launcher shell that misfired during a paramilitary training session proved fatal for a scrap merchant dealer here on Thursday.
Mannapparai Police said paramilitary personnel from Bengaluru had come down for three days’ training at Veeramalaipalayam. As it is a common practice for villagers to collect spent shells that contain copper and aluminium to sell them to scrap merchants, unsuspecting villagers collected the shells this time too.
But on Thursday, an explosion happened when Maariappan (50), a worker in a scrap shop, took a sledgehammer to break open the shell. Police said Maariappan died on the spot, while shop owner Arulanandham (50), Balu and Kanagaraj, both standing in the nearby tea shop, suffered injuries.
Witnesses said the explosion emitted light, much like a lightning strike, and they also felt some mild tremors on the ground.
The strength of the blast brought the shop down and was so loud, said the residents of Virappur village, who came rushing to the spot.
On information, police rushed to the spot and sent the injured to the government hospital and also the body of the deceased for postmortem.
All the three injured are recovering.
Police registered a case and are carrying out an investigation. Sources said this is third such incident in the recent years, others having taken place in Pochampatti and Thogamalai.