Indian army mortar shell kills 3 in training misfire

By INDRAJIT SINGH
Associated Press

PATNA, India (AP) — A government official says three people were killed when an Indian army mortar shell fired during a training session fell short of its target and hit a village house in the country’s east. Official Pankaj Kumar said a young couple was visiting Gulvared, a village in Gaya district in Bihar state, to celebrate the Hindu “Holi” festival with the woman’s parents when the accident occurred. Kumar said the shell exploded in the courtyard of the house on Wednesday, killing the couple and a neighbor. Two other people were injured. The army did not immediately comment on the incident. The village is located 65 miles south of Patna, the state capital, near the army firing range.