In the Kandhkot Taluka of Kashmore district a rocket launcher’s ordnance exploded inside a house on Wednesday resulted in at least nine fatalities, including five children, and one person who was injured, according to police and witnesses. This incident happened recently, and it has left the community in shock.
Initial reports suggest that some children were out in the fields, when they stumbled upon a live rocket shell. Curious and unaware of the danger, they brought it home. Unfortunately, the rocket shell exploded, causing the terrible accident. On the other hand, some villagers believe that the children were trying to break the shell into pieces to sell when it accidentally exploded.
The district administration reported that the explosion took place at around 9:00 am in the area under the Goghat police station’s jurisdiction. Law enforcement immediately secured the area, and investigators are trying to determine how the rocket ended up there.
Ten people were rushed to a local hospital after the explosion. Tragically, nine of them, including five children, did not survive. One survivor, a 40-year-old woman named Shaista, received treatment and was later discharged.
The area has been a concern for law enforcement due to the presence of criminals who often engage in tribal conflicts and possess modern weapons, including rocket launchers.
Some locals speculate that the explosion might have occurred during the criminals’ transfer of weapons from one location to another, possibly in response to an ongoing law enforcement operation. However, this has not been officially confirmed.
The issue of criminal activity in the riverine area had been discussed in a provincial Apex Committee meeting. This led to the approval of a significant operation by police and paramilitary forces against the outlaws. Additionally, internet access in the area has been temporarily suspended.
Before this operation, local police had requested government assistance with the support of paramilitary forces to combat these criminals, highlighting the difficulty of dealing with their strong network.
Following this tragic incident, the Caretaker Chief Minister, Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqir, has instructed provincial police to investigate the matter. He is curious about how a rocket ended up in the village. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has also called for an investigation and urged the government to address criminal gangs in the region.
