A 41-year-old woman lost her left leg after stepping on a suspected buried explosive device while grazing cattle near Bazaghari village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on Tuesday, prompting villagers to seek a bomb squad inspection and sanitisation of nearby fields and grazing areas.
The victim, identified as Durga Devi Bhattarai, was reportedly in a field when the device exploded. She is the wife of Jeevan Bhattarai, secretary of Bazaghari village. The incident has raised immediate concern among residents that other explosive devices may be buried in surrounding agricultural and grazing areas.
Villagers have urged the authorities to investigate the nature and origin of the device, deploy a bomb disposal squad and conduct a detailed search of the area. The requests reflect the immediate safety challenge posed by a suspected buried explosive in a location used for routine livelihood activities, including cattle grazing.
The incident was reported as police and security agencies continued to address wider security concerns in Manipur. At a media briefing on Tuesday, ADGP (law and order) Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo said police had finalised a plan to destroy illegal poppy farms in 516 villages across 10 districts with the help of security forces. He said people involved in the practice would face legal consequences.
Lhatoo also said a proposal to transfer to the National Investigation Agency the case involving the killing of two Kuki youths from Taphou Kuki village was at an advanced stage and that orders were awaited. The bodies had been found in the jungles of Senapati district, about 14 km from the national highway, according to the report.
Police operations to catch those responsible were under way, while additional Central Reserve Police Force personnel had been requisitioned for deployment in vulnerable areas such as Govajang. The ADGP also appealed to people not to obstruct police and security forces taking action against alleged extortion along National Highway 37.
The authorities’ response to the explosive-device incident, including whether a bomb disposal squad will be sent to Bazaghari and whether nearby fields will be formally sanitised, will determine how residents can safely return to routine agricultural and grazing activities. The villagers’ requests for investigation and area clearance remain the immediate next steps identified in the report.
