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| India-Pakistan |
| At least 24 injured in Kashmir arms depot fire |
| 2007-08-12 |
| SRINAGAR, India - At least two dozen people, including 15 army personnel, were injured on Saturday when a huge fire broke out at an ammunition depot of the Indian army in Kashmir, officials and witnesses said. About 10,000 people from neighbouring villages were evacuated as shells and splinters ripped through the area in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. The cause of the fire was being investigated but two militant groups, including the most prominent Hizbul Mujahideen group, telephoned a local news agency and claimed responsibility for torching the depot. But army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel A.K. Mathur denied it was a militant attack. “There are some casualties, we are ascertaining the facts,” he said. “Massive efforts are continuing to control the blaze.” Police vehicles fitted with loudspeakers patrolled the area asking people to leave as massive clouds of smoke from the highly-secured depot streaked into the sky, witnesses said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 The Indian Army needs to hurry up with the upgrade of its ammunition dumps. Many date from WW2 and have artillery shells and rockets stacked up and covered by tarp, just lying exposed. No bunkers or igloos, just an earth berm (sometimes). They've had to destroy tens of millions of dollars worth of ammo because of poor storage. Just a discarded cigarette on some dry grass and... |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-08-12 09:43 |