Child injures due to bomb explosion while playing badminton in Howrah

Just 100 metres from Batra police station in Howrah, a carefree badminton game turned into a nightmare today afternoon when a group of children accidentally kicked an old bomb lying unnoticed in the grass. Around 3 pm, the explosive suddenly went off with a deafening bang, sending panic through the quiet Bhola Nath Kabiraj Lane's playground. Nine-year-old Roushan Singh took the full impact—shrapnel tore into his body and he collapsed screaming in pain while his terrified friends ran for help. Within minutes locals carried the bleeding child to Howrah District Hospital where doctors rushed him into emergency surgery, describing his condition as critical.

Eyewitnesses say the kids had been playing happily when one of them struck something hard near the edge of the field. Seconds later the blast shook the entire neighbourhood, shattering windows and bringing residents rushing out. The bomb, believed to be a crude country-made device abandoned long ago, had been hidden—dangerously close to both homes and the police station itself. Locals are furious that such a lethal object could lie undetected in a spot where children play daily, barely a stone’s throw from police officers supposed to keep the area safe.

Howrah City Police quickly cordoned off the area and bomb squad teams arrived to sweep for any more explosives. As per reports, it might have been there for years, possibly dumped after old gang rivalries. As the child fights for his life in the ICU, angry locals gathered outside Bantra police station demanding answers and regular safety checks. For one little boy and his shaken family, a normal badminton game has become a painful reminder that danger can lurk in the most ordinary places.