One killed as missile fires accidentally

By V.Geetanath

HYDERABAD, JAN. 4. A senior technical assistant was killed when a missile was accidentally fired during a demonstration inside the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) premises in Kanchanbagh here today. The Defence Secretary, Mr. Yogendra Narain, had a lucky escape.

The accidental missile launch around noon sent shockwaves among residents of neighbouring localities and forced the BDL authorities to order evacuation of all its employees from the premises. The anti-tank missile rammed into Mr. K. Narasimha Chary's body, killing him on the spot, then nose-dived into the ground forming a crater and caught fire. Five others, including the BDL's General Manager, G. Prabhakar Rao, were hospitalised with minor injuries.

According to sources, the Defence Secretary and other senior officials were going round the assembly unit of the `Milan' short-range missile when it was accidentally fired. The three- feet-high missile with a range of two kilometres is believed to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The BDL unit at Kanchanbagh is said to be storing more than 500 short-range missiles on its premises.

On who was responsible for the accidental launch, neither police nor the BDL was forthcoming. It is learnt that while the demonstration was going on, one of the officials ``accidentally'' pushed a button or a switch launching the missile. However, this account had no official confirmation.

The technical assistant, Mr. Chary, standing in the missile's flight path, bore the brunt. Another employee, Mr. Rajeev Saxena, sustained splinter injuries on his hand. Others injured were: Messrs. Sunderraj (public relations wing), Challa Rao (non- executive technical assistant), Yadagiri Reddy (non- executive technical assistant), besides the general manager. Police said the building was completely gutted as a rubber matting in the hall, which was to absorb the static electricity from those entering the hall, also caught fire. The BDL fire- engines immediately swung into action for over two hours.

The city police registered cases of death under suspicious circumstances under 174 of Cr.P.C and fire accident.

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