Gegana evacuates two grenades in Kotabaru

Kotabaru, S Kalimantan (AntaranewsKalsel) - The grenade found by residents beside the residence of Vice Regent of Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, has been successfully evacuated by members of the Gegana bomb squad of South Kalimantan Police's Mobile Brigade from Banjarbaru.

"The grenades are secured by taping, then wrapped with bombs blanket," said Head Unit Gegana First Inspector (Iptu) Sunardi in Kotabaru on Monday.

After executing a grenade near a well in the yard of Langgar Al Ikhlas, the team found another grenade. The grenade was stored in a bag lying next to the first grenade.

The evacuation lasted about 30 minutes. The atmosphere was quite stressful, but many people around watching out curiously.

"These two grenades type is of pineapple, MK 2 fragmentation, made in England from the World War II, the condition is rusty and still active, the explosives are still in it even though it has been stored for so many years," Sunardi explained.

Luckily the grenades conditions are rusty, thus reducing both vulnerability to explode as long as it is kept at home.

Before leaving the site, the team had time to sweep the home of  the grenade owner who left in the rubble after being hit by a fire. According to the owner, the inherited grenade originally had three, but one of them had long been disappeared.

On Sunday afternoon, two grenades were destroyed in an open field far enough from the city center. The grenade is destroyed by means of an explosive plated, then planted in a hole.

From a distance of 50 meters, Gegana personnel pressing the trigger until there was a booming voice. Car tires that encircle the hole where the grenade planted soared to a height of 30 meters.

Kotabaru Police Chief Adj Sr Comr (AKBP) Suhasto appealed to people who store similar explosives to hand them over to be destroyed.

"We know that Kotabaru is an old city, I'm sure there are still many people who are descendants of warriors who keep this kind of thing, we urge people to be handed over as soon as possible," said police chief.

Meanwhile, the owner of the grenade who inherited the object from his parents has been undergoing examination at Kotabaru Resort Police and could be threatened with crime.