Samba: Three people were injured in a suspected explosion from a mortar shell in an open field today in the Khara Madhana village in the Purmandal block of Samba district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

The blast is believed to have occurred while the fields were set on fire by local farmers as a routine farming practice. The explosion occurred in Khara Madhana around 8.15 pm this evening near Nala in Khara Madhana.

The injured have been identified as Suriya Bibi (58), wife of Shash Din, Rameet Singh (66), son of Sansar Singh, and Semroo Devi (76), wife of Dharam Chand, all residents of Khada Madhana. The three sustained splinter injuries in the blast and were shifted to a hospital to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu.

What Caused the Samba Blast?

Initial investigations by the J&K Police suggests that the blast was caused by the explosion of an old, rusted mortar shell.

This is a developing story.