One person killed and 11 others injured after Naxals blew up a SUV in which they were travelling using an improvised explosive device in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Dantewada district on Thursday.
The district’s Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Pallava, told PTI, the incident took place around 7.30 am near Ghotiya village under Malewadhi police station limits, located 400 km from Raipur, on an under-construction route that connects Narayanpur to Dantewada.
The official said they suspect the rebels might have planned to target security forces, but mistakenly attacked the civilian vehicle. Police never use a four-wheeler while moving on that route. The official said the victims were on way to neighbouring Telangana.
“The vehicle, a Bolero, came under the impact of the IED blast, causing injuries to all 12 occupants, including a woman. Of them, two were critically injured, while 10 others received minor injuries,” the official said.
After being alerted, a team of security personnel from a nearby camp rushed to the spot and the injured people were shifted to the district hospital.
“One of the seriously injured persons, identified as Dhan Singh, who hailed from neighbouring Balaghat district (in Madhya Pradesh), succumbed to his injuries during treatment at the hospital,” the official said.
The victims, belonging to Rajanandgaon district (Chhattisgarh) and Balaghat (MP), were going to Telangana for some personal work, he said.
