PHAGWARA, May 10 – A suspected missile crash triggered a powerful explosion and fire in Khalyaan village near Phagwara in the early hours of Saturday, leaving behind a massive crater and raising security concerns in the region.
The incident occurred around 2:40 a.m. in a field owned by Major Singh, a resident of the village, according to initial reports. Locals were jolted awake by the loud blast, which also caused visible damage to the surrounding farmland.
Eyewitnesses claim they saw two unidentified flying objects heading toward Adampur shortly before the explosion. One of the objects is believed to have crashed in the fields, setting off a fire and leaving behind a crater estimated to be 8 to 10 feet deep and 12 to 15 feet wide.
“There was a huge flash and then a blast that shook everything,” said Gurdeep Singh, a local resident. “We ran out and saw flames in the fields.”
Villagers acted swiftly, using available water sources and tools to bring the fire under control before fire brigade teams arrived to conduct cooling operations. Despite the intensity of the blast, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
Residents from the Phagwara area also reported hearing the explosion and spotting what they described as “drone lights” in the sky. As a precaution, authorities enforced a blackout in Phagwara around 2:15 a.m., shortly before the reported crash.
A team from the Rawalpindi Police Station arrived on-site more than an hour after the incident. However, no senior police officer was present at the location even by morning, raising concerns among residents about the response delay.
Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine whether the object was a drone or missile and where it originated. The area remains under surveillance as officials continue to collect evidence.
With inputs from agencies.
