Cuttack: A havildar died when firecrackers, seized by police, went off while being destroyed on the banks of Kathajodi river in Odisha’s Cuttack on Friday.
The deceased havildar has been identified as Pradip Malick, a resident of Jagatpur area.
According to sources, Malick had been serving the police department for 24 years and recently joined the bomb disposal squad. He sustained critical injuries while trying the destroy the seized firecrackers and was rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital in an ambulance. However, he succumbed to the burns.
Additional DCP Anil Kumar said that a scientific team is at the spot to determine the circumstances leading to the mishap. “An unnatural death case has been registered and a detailed investigation is underway,” he said, adding that it was firecrackers that exploded not a bomb.
