Eight children were injured, one of them seriously, when a "bomb like" object they were playing with exploded at Surabera village in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district today, police said.
The children picked up the "bomb-like" object hidden in a tank and started playing with it when the explosion took place, Superintendent of Police (SP) Inderjeet Mahatha said.
Mahatha, who rushed to the spot immediately along with the bomb disposal squad, suggested that the explosion occurred from a "sutli bomb" (a fire-cracker of high intensity).
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All the injured have been rushed to the nearby hospital but one of the seriously injured was referred to Tata Main Hospital here, the SP said.
Investigation was on, Mahatha said making it clear that the incident has nothing to do with the 3rd phase polling of the four-phase Panchayat poll taking place in the state today.
The incident was also not related to naxal groups, he clarified.
The incident took place about a kilometre away from a polling booth in Kuchai.
One of the injured told the police that the boys had picked a bottle concealed in the tank, opened its cork before hitting it with a stone which caused the blast, Mahatha said.
