New Delhi: Accidents are a complex phenomena that are attributable to a number of causes, including design, storage, maintenance and shelf-life of arms and ammunition, the Ordnance Factory Board said on the deaths of two security personnel in separate mishaps involving its 105 mm field guns.
Border Security Force (BSF) constable Satish Kumar was killed and four of his colleagues were injured at Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer due to a “premature blast” in the muzzle of a 105 mm field gun, according to the Rajasthan Police.
On February 23, Indian Army’s Gunner Sayan Ghosh was killed and two others were injured in Akhnoor sector of Jammu during their training when the barrel of a 105 mm field gun suddenly burst into pieces and the flying splinters hit them, a defence spokesperson had said.
The two 105 mm field guns that burst into pieces during the aforementioned incidents were manufactured by the government-run OFB.
When asked about these two incidents, Gagan Chaturvedi, spokesperson, OFB, said that all accidents are investigated by a defect investigation team comprising representatives of all stakeholders.
“This is yet to be undertaken. No comments can, therefore, be offered at this stage,” he added.
However, Chaturvedi stated the OFB has consistently maintained at all levels that accidents are a complex phenomena which are “attributable to a number of causes, including among others, design, storage, maintenance and shelf-life related issues.”
“Any investigation, therefore, has to be holistic in nature,” he added.
In May 2019, the Indian Army had sought immediate intervention of the Defence Ministry to check rising cases of accidents involving battle tanks, artillery and air defence guns due to “poor quality” of ammunition being supplied to it by the state-run OFB.
The Army had then presented a report to the ministry listing incidents of accidents involving main guns of T-72 and T-90 and the Arjun main battle tanks, besides 105 mm field guns, 130 mm MA1 medium guns and 40 mm L-70 air defence guns, primarily due to faulty ammunition.
