Kharmang residents demand removal of Kargil war’s unexploded ordnances

GILGIT: Following the death of a teenage boy due to the explosion of a toy bomb from the Kargil war, the local community of Harghusal in Kharmang district, Gilgit-Baltistan, has penned a letter to the federal defence minister urging a search and clearance operation in the area.

The tragic incident on June 13, which resulted in the death of 14-year-old Faisal and left his father and sister seriously injured, has underscored the persistent dangers from the war’s unexploded ordnances.

Faisal, along with his father and sister, had gone to a nearby nallah to graze their cattle. He picked up what he assumed was a toy bomb to play with, but the device suddenly exploded, killing him on the spot and injuring his father and sister.

The letter states that scattered detonations from the Kargil war have claimed at least 14 lives and injured more than 16 people in the area over the past two decades. It highlights the ongoing peril faced by residents due to these deadly remnants of war.

In 1999, two fatalities and one injury occurred in the Olding area. The year 2000 saw two deaths and two injuries in Harghusal. In 2001, Donga Purghusal witnessed two deaths and two injuries. In 2009, a fatality was reported in Ouche Harghusal. By 2012, two injuries were recorded in the Old Ning area. In 2014, one fatality and three injuries occurred in the Olding area. In 2017, the Olding area again faced tragedy with two deaths and four injuries. In 2020, Harghusal experienced one fatality and two injuries. On June 13, 2020, a 14-year-old boy died, and his father and sister were injured.

These incidents have not only resulted in loss of life but have also severely affected livestock and property, exacerbating the suffering of the local populace. The residents reported that these hazardous remnants were still scattered across the grazing lands of Harghusal and Olding, posing a continuous threat to the community.

In their letter to the defence minister, the residents made an urgent plea for the government to initiate a thorough search and clearance operation to remove these dangerous ordnances. They stressed the critical need for either the complete clearance of the affected areas or the provision of alternative safe living spaces to protect the lives of the inhabitants.

The local community hopes that the authorities will heed their plea and take swift action to ensure their safety, preventing further loss of life and securing a safer future for the residents of Kharamang.