RANCHI/JAMSHEDPUR, Mar 25: Personnel of the Indian Army successfully defused two suspected World War II-era bombs recovered from Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district, officials said on Wednesday.
The explosives were found near the Subarnarekha River along the Panipara–Nagudsaai stretch in Baharagora block, about 90 km from Jamshedpur. One bomb was unearthed during sand excavation on March 17, while another was recovered from a nearby location earlier this week during inspection.
The bombs, identified as US-made aerial explosives marked ‘AN-M64 500 lb’, included one weighing approximately 200 kg and resembling a gas cylinder, officials said.
A six-member Bomb Disposal Squad from the Army’s 51 Engineer Regiment, based in Ranchi, carried out the operation under tight security. The team, led by Lieutenant Colonel Dharmendra Singh and Captain Ayush Kumar Singh, defused both explosives within a gap of 30 minutes.
As part of the safety protocol, a deep trench measuring between 10 and 30 feet was dug near the site to contain the impact of any potential explosion. The bombs were placed inside the pit and secured with sand-filled gunny bags before being neutralised. An operations centre was established about one kilometre away.
Authorities sealed off a one-kilometre radius around the site and evacuated nearby villages. Civilian movement was restricted, and flight operations from the nearby Kalaikunda Air Force Station were temporarily suspended during the operation.
“No damage to property or injury has been reported, but people were advised not to venture near the spot for the next 24 hours as a precautionary measure,” Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi said.
He added, “The explosives were defused within a gap of 30 minutes from one another, amid tight security arrangements. We will try to ensure that a complete investigation is held to confirm whether more such explosives exist in that area.”
Officials said investigating agencies are working to determine the origin of the bombs and how long they had remained buried. Though there is no official confirmation, experts suspect the explosives date back to the World War II era.
Villagers in the area hailed the Indian Army for safely carrying out the operation without any casualties.
