A 19-year-old girl died while her mother sustained serious injuries in a suspected shell blast in Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Thursday.
Quoting official sources, news agency GNS reported the mother-daughter duo was cleaning collard greens, popularly known as ‘Haakh’ and some forest vegetables, kept inside a bag, at their residence in Sharkoot Villgam in Taratpora Amargargh area of Handwara when there was big blast, leading to the serious injuries to them.
The mother, Sara Begum, 49, wife of Ghulam Ahmad Rather and her 19-year-old daughter Gulnaza Banu were removed to local hospital where the teenage girl succumbed to wounds while the woman has been shifted in critical condition to Srinagar for specialized treatment.
A police officer confirmed the girl’s death and referral of the woman to Srinagar hospital.
He said the duo had brought “longi” vegetables from nearby forest yesterday and had apparently brought an old shell from the jungle along with the vegetables.
“And when they opened the vegetable bag at home, a blast occurred there, resulting in injuries to both of them. Later the teenage girl died,” he said.
A case has been registered and further investigations are underway, the officer said.