After the blasts on April 17 at the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s Chinnaswamy Stadium in the heart of the city, the home department set about putting in place the necessary bomb disposal equipment for city police
After the blasts on April 17 at the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s Chinnaswamy Stadium in the heart of the city, the home department set about putting in place the necessary bomb disposal equipment for city police. This was also seen as especially necessary since the July 25, 2008 blasts in different parts of the city claimed one life in a city that, for a long time, had been renowned for being peaceful and salubrious.
One device that will come of use to explode bombs that cannot be safely defused is the ‘bomb basket’, which the city police have now acquired. The basket could be used to cover the explosive device and induce an explosion with minimal damage. “This will also allow us to select an isolated spot to conduct a controlled explosion; in case there is little time left for the explosion, we could still allow it to explode without causing damage,” said a police officer. Police have acquired seven bomb baskets.
The bomb basket is made up of “non-fragmentation ballistic composite material”. This offers a safety ring, to minimise the impact of the explosion. “The basket is made of fibre glass, and has a diameter of 24 inches, and height of 36 inches. It also has a nylon holding net, which is suspended inside the basket. It could deal with explosions resulting from 200 gm to 1.2 kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT),” said an officer.
The bomb basket has a special cover that protects the explosive device (IED), and holds it in place with cords that contain elastic material. Bombs with RDX will lose their sting if they are placed in the bomb basket, an official explained.
“The basket can also withstand a blast of 200 gm of RDX. Splinters will not penetrate if the basket is placed over the explosive device,” and officer said. The whole device is not so heavy, at 50 kg. It is easily portable, and it has a detachable base plate. The trolley on which the bomb basket is fixed could be attached to a vehicle. Points on the basket’s exterior allow x-rays to penetrate and locate the bomb.
Deputy commissioner of police, security, Dharmaiah, said that the bomb basket directs the impact upwards, so injuries from shards are avoided in those in the vicinity of the explosion.
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