A national-level shooter suffered partial loss of his left thumb when the 10m air pistol cylinder, filled with compressed air, exploded at the Karni Singh Range. The shocking incident took place on the evening of December 2.
Pushpender Kumar, a corporal in the Indian Air Force, was undergoing training at the shooting range for the ongoing National Championships in Bhopal. The severe damage to his left thumb necessitated immediate hospitalisation.
Currently, he is receiving treatment at the Indian Army's R&R hospital in New Delhi.
A national coach told PTI that the incident occurred while Pushpender was filling compressed air into the pistol cylinder from the main cylinder.
Air pistols and air rifles feature a slender gas cylinder located just below the barrel. When the shooter triggers the mechanism, the compressed gas in the cylinder is released, striking a hammer inside the air gun and propelling the lead pellet.
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The air pistol's cylinder needs to be refilled after a certain number of shots, typically with the aid of a compressor or a portable cylinder.
In the past, carbon dioxide was the preferred gas for filling the cylinders. However, with technological advancements, compressed air cylinders, resembling smaller versions of LPG cylinders, are now used to refill the air pistol cylinders.
Pushpender hails from the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. Although he hasn't competed internationally, he holds a senior position in the IAF team.
He lost his mother nearly a month ago.
"We are hopeful Pushpender will make 90-95 per cent recovery post-surgery," said the coach.
"Air pistol cylinders have to be replaced after a certain period and the gun manufacturers do it for free. Thankfully, Pushpender's shooting arm is safe."
The coach said that, in his career, he had not encountered such an incident before, even though gun vendors acknowledge that such incidents do happen.
It remains unknown whether the air pistol involved was personal or belonged to the Air Force.
"It is sad that he will not be able to compete in the national championships currently underway in Bhopal. His mother had passed away some 15-20 days back. As far as I know, he has not played internationally. He usually trains at the Karni Singh range in Delhi," the coach added.
The coach said that Ravi Kumar, an international rifle shooter from Meerut and also associated with the IAF, accompanied Pushpender to the Army hospital to provide care.
Kumar, a bronze medallist at the World Cup, informed PTI that Pushpender is recovering well after the surgery and is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.
"He is doing fine and should be discharged in the next 2-3 days," said Kumar.
Another pistol coach at the Karni Singh range emphasised the importance of air pistol and rifle shooters replacing their gun cylinders every 10 years or as instructed by the weapon manufacturer.
"There is a possibility of a mishap if the refill cylinders are not replaced as directed by the manufacturers. I don't know the exact cause of the blast but one should not take it lightly as once the validity expires anything can happen," he said on condition of anonymity.
"Pushpender is a good shooter and I have known him for a long time. What I have been told is that he has undergone a major surgery. He is around 28-30 years old. Usually what happens is that the pressure gauge indicator on the air weapon's cylinder starts malfunctioning, giving incorrect readings. It leads to overfilling of the cylinder, which causes it to burst," he concluded.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by PTI)
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