Accidental Gunfire Injures Three Near Varanasi Temple
Incident Overview
A screengrab image of the accident site(source: X)
Varanasi, July 4: Three individuals were injured outside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, due to shrapnel from an accidental discharge of a firearm by a jawan from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) stationed near Gate No. 4B, as reported by officials on Saturday.
Initial reports indicate that the incident occurred when the PAC jawan's carbine accidentally discharged.
The situation caused a brief panic, but law enforcement quickly managed to restore order.
The injured have been identified as Nikki Gupta, Ram Babu, and Vikas Yadav.
Following the incident, both the police and temple authorities promptly transported the injured to a medical facility for care.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Gaurav Banswal explained that the carbine slipped from the PAC jawan's grip, resulting in two rounds being fired.
"Both shots struck the ground, but shrapnel injured three vendors selling flower garlands nearby. One person was hit in the hand, another in the waist, and the third in the leg," he stated.
Fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening.
"All three individuals have been admitted to the hospital, and their conditions are stable," DCP Banswal confirmed.
Vikas Yadav, one of the injured, shared that the gunfire erupted while he was at his flower-garland stall.
"The PAC jawan was holding his carbine behind him when it went off. Subsequently, other officers arrived and took the jawan away. The police also collected the shrapnel from the area," Yadav recounted.
"I suffered shrapnel wounds to my hand and waist. In total, three people were injured," he added.
Another injured individual, Ram Babu, described the suddenness of the gunfire from the PAC jawan's carbine, which resulted in injuries to his leg and hand.