A young boy was killed and three others were injured in a grenade explosion at the Raipur army range in this district, police said on Sunday.

Four children, who were returning home after collecting firewood at Maldevata jungle on Saturday, picked up a live grenade at the army range. When they tried to fiddle with the grenade, it exploded killing one of the boys on the spot and injuring three others, they said. The dead boy has been identified as Kapil alias Bhole (13). The three injured boys were admitted to Doon hospital.

Altogether, four persons, most of them teenagers, were killed in different grenade explosions in Garhwal region during the past month. An Indian Military Academy cadet was also killed last month when a grenade he was using for training exploded in his hand.

Though there is no exact figure, a rough estimate by police suggested that eight persons, mostly teenagers, were killed in similar grenade explosions at Roorkee and Kashipur areas in 2004. One person died in 2005 and another in 2006.      

Meanwhile, social activist have expressed concern over the incidents and called for immediate steps to curb the menace. Chief Minister B C Khanduri has also urged the Centre to construct safety walls around various firings ranges of army and paramilitary forces in the state.