Three Children Critically Injured in Explosion of Suspected Mortar Shell in Manipur's Tengnoupal

Three young boys suffered severe injuries on Saturday when a suspected unexploded mortar shell detonated while they were playing in Molnoi Kuki village, under Pallel police station in Tengnoupal of Manipur, police reported.

The incident took place around 12:50 pm in front of a residential house. Authorities believe the children mistook the device—likely a remnant from previous ethnic clashes—for a toy or ball.

The injured minors have been identified as:
- Hemgou Hou Baite (10), son of Douthanglen Baite
- Jamgubsai Baite (8), son of Douthangleb Baite
- Ngamgunmang Haokip (8), son of late Haokholen Haokip

One of the boys is in critical condition.

Villagers immediately rushed the children to Komlathabi Primary Health Centre. They were later transferred to an Assam Rifles medical facility in Pallel before being referred to CMC Hospital in Koirengei, Imphal, for specialised treatment.

Security forces and Tengnoupal police quickly cordoned off the area and conducted a search, recovering several additional country-made explosives from a nearby abandoned structure.

"Only one device exploded during play. We are investigating the origin of these explosives and how they ended up in the village," a police officer stated. An FIR has been registered, and probes are underway to determine if the shell dates back to earlier Kuki-Meitei conflicts in the Myanmar-bordering district.

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