Boy injured as crude bomb explodes in under-construction building in Bengal

A seven-year-old boy was seriously injured after a crude bomb allegedly lying in the courtyard of an under-construction building exploded at Basanti in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district, police said on Thursday.The child had entered the courtyard to play and touched a round-shaped object, which went off with a loud explosion on late Wednesday evening, a senior police official said.He was initially taken to a nearby rural hospital and later referred to a private hospital in Kolkata, where he is undergoing treatment.

A seven-year-old boy was seriously injured after a crude bomb allegedly lying in the courtyard of an under-construction building exploded at Basanti in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, police said on Thursday.

The child had entered the courtyard to play and touched a round-shaped object, which went off with a loud explosion on late Wednesday evening, a senior police official said.

He was initially taken to a nearby rural hospital and later referred to a private hospital in Kolkata, where he is undergoing treatment. His identity has not been disclosed.

"We are trying to piece together the sequence of events, including how the child gained access to the courtyard and who was responsible for keeping the bomb there," the official said, adding that an investigation was underway.

Responding to the incident, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said it reflected a breakdown of law and order in the state.

"The incident shows that West Bengal has descended into chaos and even children are no longer safe," he alleged, claiming the building owner was linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Senior TMC leader and state minister Sashi Panja termed the incident unfortunate and said the police were investigating the matter. "This should not be politicised," she said.

A few local people claimed that a businessman owns the under-construction building, and the bomb could not have been stored there without his knowledge.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)