Overview
- Army teams took charge of the Subarnarekha riverbank site in East Singhbhum and declared a two‑kilometre no‑go zone after drone mapping indicated a second similar object near the first find.
- The initial device, uncovered during sand excavation along the Panipada–Nagudsai stretch, was identified from its markings as a US‑made AN‑M64 500‑pound aerial bomb from World War II.
- Jharkhand’s police bomb squad judged the munition active and beyond routine methods, which led authorities to call in Army specialists using drones and metal detectors to map and sweep the area.
- Ammunition expert Lt Col Dharmendra Singh conducted a technical assessment and officials scheduled a controlled disposal, with the result expected to determine whether a wider clearance is needed.
- Residents fear more buried bombs and some reports say the site sat unsecured for days, while experts warn such decades‑old ordnance can stay unstable in riverbank sands and requires delicate handling.