Tragedy Strikes in Chhattisgarh: Four Police Killed in Maoists' Gunpowder Explosion

Four police personnel died in Kanker, Chhattisgarh, while attempting to dispose of a Maoists' gunpowder dump. This is the first such incident since the state was declared free from armed Maoists. The explosion occurred during a demining operation and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause.

In a tragic turn of events, four police personnel were killed in an explosion in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Saturday. The explosion happened while officers were disposing of a gunpowder dump hidden by Maoists, marking the first fatal incident since the state declared freedom from armed Maoism on March 31.

The incident took place in a forest area of Aadnar village during a demining operation. Security forces had acted on intelligence reports about concealed Maoist dumps and recovered several items, including explosive firecracker powder. The explosion is suspected to have been caused by high temperatures or a chemical reaction, officials said.

The deceased include Inspector Sukhram Vatti and three constables. A comprehensive investigation, including ballistic and forensic analysis, is underway to determine the precise cause of the blast. Chhattisgarh's Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the officers.