161 gelatin sticks found near Almora school spark alert
Over 20 kg of commercial explosives discovered hidden in bushes near government school in Uttarakhand's Sult area, prompting multi-agency security probe
The discovery of 161 gelatin sticks in the bushes near a government school in the Sult area of Uttarakhand’s Almora district has triggered a major security alert and a multi-agency investigation.
The explosives were reportedly found “hidden” in the bushes next to the Government Higher Secondary School in Dabara village.
The gelatine sticks — used as commercial explosives — were reportedly spotted by some children playing cricket in the nearby fields on Thursday evening (November 20). The police were alerted around 2.50 pm on November 21 by the school principal, Subhash Singh, when he was informed about the suspicious objects.
20 kg of gelatin sticks
Upon being alerted, two police teams responded, cordoned off the area, and secured the scene. Bomb disposal squads and dog units from nearby districts were brought in. Canine teams located additional packets of gelatin sticks nearby. The bomb disposal unit safely collected and secured the material.
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The 161 gelatin sticks reportedly weighed over 20 kg. The packets were reportedly marked “901 emulsion explosives 125 gm by SBL Energy Limited”.
A case has been registered against unknown individuals under the Explosive Substances Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Four police teams are investigating the origin, transport, and intended use of the explosives.
Gelatin sticks are typically used for industrial purposes such as breaking stones in construction and mining. However, the significant quantity found near a school has raised security concerns, especially given the recent security alerts over the Delhi blast, and explosive seizures in states such as Haryana.