Elderly Man Dies As Bomb Explodes in Kerala's Thalassery

Kochi: A 86-year-old man was killed after a crude bomb exploded in Kerala's Kannur district near Thalassery on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as Velayudhan.

The incident occurred around 12:45 pm when Velayudhan went to collect coconuts from an uninhabited house near his residence and found a steel container. Curious to know what is in it, he tried opening it and it exploded.

The device inside the box exploded as Velayudhan was examining it, causing severe injuries to his hand and face.Velayudhan was seriously injured in the explosion and rushed to the Thalassery Cooperative Hospital but his life could not be saved, police said.

A team of police and a bomb squad arrived at the scene. Further investigation is on.

A senior police officer of the district told reporters here that according to the preliminary investigations, it appeared to be a steel bomb.

"It may have been discarded here or may have been deliberately concealed here," he said, adding that the incident occurred around 12.45 pm.

The officer said the bomb squad was carefully inspecting the property from where the explosive was found.