Indian Army Clarifies Mortar Firing was not Done at Deuri Dumri Field Firing Ranges on 08 March 2023

Indian Army Clarifies that Mortar Firing was NOT done at Deuri Dumri Field Firing Ranges on 08 March 2023 and Extends All Support for Investigating the Cause of Tragedy. The Indian Army extends condolences to the families of those who died and sustained injuries owing to the unfortunate incident near Gulerbed Village located under Barachatti Police Station, District Gaya, State Bihar. 

The incident has been mis-reported by certain sections of the media that the deaths occurred due to Army mortar firing. It is clarified that on 08 March 2023, no firing of Mortars was carried out at the Deuri Dumri Field Firing Ranges. It is further clarified that all clearances, on a Notified Firing Range are obtained on a daily basis prior to the firing from local civil administration and Police. No such clearance was asked for Mortar firing on
08 March 23.

It has been noted that certain sections of the social media have been showing a circular shaped hole in the ground indicating it as the point of impact of the mortar shell. Mortar shell detonation on impact do not leave such signatures. Ostensibly, this could be a case of unauthorised collection of a Mortar blind shell which fell in the designated impact area on an earlier date, and efforts to dismantle it to extract scrap metal on 08 March 2023 for sale. This could have triggered the detonation, causing the unfortunate accident.

Indian Army teams are extending all support and assistance to the District administration to investigate the cause of the tragedy. The unfortunate loss of lives and injuries, once again highlights the dangers posed by entry into the impact area of field firing ranges, and of the dangerous practice of unauthorised collecting of scrap and even blind rounds from the impact area, for sale, which results in such tragedies. 

The Indian Army requests that this dangerous practice of unauthorised collection of scrap metal and even blind rounds for sale, must be refrained from. The Indian Army remains steadfast in its professional conduct and expresses deep sense of empathy for the departed souls.