Raipur Two workers lost their lives, and another was injured when a pressure-triggered improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Maoists detonated at an iron ore mine site in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district around 7:30 am on Friday. The incident unfolded as the trio headed to work at the Aamdai Ghati iron ore mine, situated on a hill under the jurisdiction of the Chhote Dongar police station, roughly 350 km away from the state capital, Raipur. According to the authorities, Jayaswal Neco Industries Limited (JNIL) oversees operations at the iron ore mine in Aamdai Ghati, an initiative that Maoists have vehemently opposed for an extended period. Initial investigations suggest that the workers accidentally triggered the pressure IED, leading to the fatal blast.
The deceased were identified as Ritesh Gagda (21) and Shravan Gagda (24), both residents of Narayanpur district. Shravan, initially reported missing after the explosion, was discovered at the blast site. Umesh Rana, the injured worker, received medical attention at a local hospital. Security personnel are conducting a search operation in the area. Simultaneously, security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district detected and neutralized three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by Maoists on the same day. Two of the IEDs were concealed beneath a blacktop road using a foxhole mechanism, reminiscent of the tactic used in the April Dantewada blast that claimed the lives of 10 security personnel and a civilian driver. The explosives, weighing 25 kg each, were buried 4 feet below the road within a tunnel measuring 5 feet in height and 5 feet in width. They were wired to a command switch with an extended wire. Fortunately, the Bomb Disposal Squad successfully neutralized these bombs, averting a potential disaster. Moreover, a 5 kg pressure IED was recovered between Dharmaram village and Chintavagu river by CRPF’s 151st battalion and CoBRA’s 204th unit earlier in the day. This incident follows a recent confrontation between Maoists in Kanker, leading to the seizure of a substantial cache of Maoist-related items, including high explosives, clothing, medicines, vegetables, and everyday materials, while causing injuries to several Maoists involved in the clash.
