New Delhi: A shocking incident occurred at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi on Saturday evening, leaving a national-level shooter with a partially amputated thumb. Pushpender Kumar, a corporal in the Indian Air Force, was filling the 10-meter air pistol cylinder with compressed air when it suddenly exploded.
The blast caused severe damage to Pushpender’s left thumb, requiring immediate hospitalization. He is currently recovering at the Indian Army’s R&R hospital in New Delhi.
Pushpender was filling the air pistol cylinder from a larger compressed air source when the explosion occurred. The nature of the malfunction and the cause of the blast are still under investigation. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has urged shooters to follow safety guidelines strictly to prevent such incidents.
Pushpender was reportedly preparing for the upcoming National Championships in Bhopal. The extent of the injury and its impact on his shooting career remains unclear. The incident has raised concerns about safety protocols and equipment maintenance at shooting ranges.
Air pistols and air rifles have a sleek gas cylinder attached just below the barrel. When the shooter presses the trigger, the compressed gas in the cylinder is released, which hits a hammer inside the air gun, ejecting the lead pellet.
The air pistol’s cylinder has to be filled after a certain number of shots with the help of a compressor or a portable cylinder.
Earlier, carbon dioxide used to be the preferred gas to fill the cylinders but with the advancement in technology, compressed air cylinders, which look like smaller versions of LPG cylinders, are used to fill the air pistol cylinders.
Pushpender belongs to the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh and, while he has not competed internationally, he is a senior member of the IAF team.
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