Two children on Saturday got injured in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district as they picked up a crude bomb from the roadside while thinking it to be a ball. The incident occurred in Bhangor amid polling for panchayat elections in the state. An official told the news agency PTI, "The two children mistook the crude bomb for a ball, and as one of them touched it, it went off. Security forces were sent to the area to find if any more bombs were there." The injured got admitted to a hospital immediately. One of the injured was eight years old and the other was ten years old, reported by PTI.
Locals staged a protest in the said area while alleging that the crude bombs were indiscriminately used overnight in order to intimidate voters. They further alleged that during this whole episode, no police officer was seen in the area.
State Election Commission (SEC) secretary Nilanjan Sandilya, while talking to PTI, said, "We have asked for details of the incident." The area, adjoining Kolkata, witnessed several incidents of violence ahead of the polling day as well. Two people were killed during the filing of nomination on June 15.
Meanwhile, amidst the voting in West Bengal Panchayat elections, many vehicles were set on fire after violence broke out in the state’s Birbhum district on Saturday. At least 11 people were killed in election-related violence in West Bengal since midnight as voting was underway on Saturday for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state, officials said, as reported by the news agency PTI. Among those killed were five Trinamool Congress members, and one worker each of the Bharatiya Janata Party, CPI(M) and Congress, and a supporter of an Independent candidate, they said. Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in at least two polling booths, they added.