On the backdrop of today's arms depot explosion, here are six other incidents of mishaps in Indian army establishments:
May 31, 2016
PULGAON: At least 20 people were killed, including two Army officials, and several injured after a fire broke out at the Central Ammunition Depot in Pulgaon, Wardha district in Maharashtra. Seventeen Defence Security Corp (DSC) jawans were injured in the blaze, some of them critically, an Army officer said.
December 8, 2015
VISAKHAPATNAM: Ammunition exploded at Naval Arms Depot (NAD) of the Indian Navy. The explosion had triggered off a fire resulting in injuries to five persons when they tried to separate detonator and chemicals of signalling cartridge. According to reports, Indian Navy had claimed it was a regular exercise and only trained experts could handle it.
March 26, 2010
PANAGARH: A huge cache of ammunition was destroyed in a fire in one of the largest depot of the Indian Army in Panagarh, Burdwan. The fire gutted the store house that contained a large number of small arms and ammunition. "The fire broke out in shed number 16 (store house) of the depot at 1:30 AM. Within five minutes, the entire fire fighting machinery of the Army was activated to battle the blaze," Wing Commander M Upasani of Eastern Command was quoted by a news daily.
December 4, 2008
BHUJ: A blast in an Army ammunition depot near Galpadar village killed two Armymen and injured six others, triggering fears of a terror attack. The explosion in the cantonment was caused by a fire in the depot. Authorities took two hours to control the fire and Army personnel had ruled out sabotage and claimed that the incident took place 'during routine inspection of old and outdated ammunition'.
January 11, 2002
BIKANER: Massive fire broke out in the army's temporary ordnance sub-depot at Udasar military area, about 3 km from the historic city. Two civilians died after when rockets and wreckage from the blast site flew and fell on a nearby dharamshala, five others were seriously injured. Defence minister George Fernandes had ordered a probe into the incident. Apparently, the civilian trucks which brought ammunitions from various army depots were parked at the temporary depot. Unconfirmed report said that the fire broke out at 3 p.m. when the jawans were cooking their food inside the depot.
May 24, 2001
JAIPUR: Three Army officers were injured after a major fire broke out in the Army ammunition depot at Birdhwal, 20 km from Suratgarh town in Sriganganagar district near the international border in Rajasthan. According to reports, thick smoke and loud explosions were heard as far away as Suratgarh. The officers were admitted to Military Hospital in Suratgarh Cantonment.
April 29, 2001
CHANDIGARH: A huge fire broke out in the ammunition dump of the Army's Mamoon Cantonment near Pathankot in Gurdaspur, creating panic among the residents of the township. The incident took place a year after the fire at the Army's Bharatpur ammunition depot in Rajasthan. Army officials, police and district administration were rushed to the spot.
April 28, 2000
BHARATPUR (Rajasthan): A major fire broke out in one of the largest and oldest ammunition depots in the western sector, housing ammunition for the Bofors gun and other sophisticated defence equipment.
