Analysis of Injury Pattern & Forensic Medicine Management in a Case of Bomb Blast Injury

Abstract

Background: In 2016 midnight of summer a bomb blast occurred at ammunition depot Pulgaon. Blast was
so severe that villagers in the radius of 10km witnessed the blast wave. It had killed 19 people which included
Army officers, soldier & fire brigade men. As per police inquest & alleged history given by eyewitness,an
authority of Central Ammunition Depot at Pulgaon noticed fire at ammunition store of the depot. For this
reason emergency task force team of the depot got activated and few army personnel including fire brigade
personnel rushed to the spot to control the fire. But unfortunately large amount of ammunition blasted
suddenly as the fire spread inside the ammunition storage. Because of this 19 parsons were died on the
spot & many were injured. To tackle the disaster civil authority were informed. When it was noted that
total 19 personnel were died in the mishap, the District civil authority approached to Mahatma Gandhi
Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram to send forensic medicine expert team to do spot Post Mortem (PM)
examination. The main challenge before the forensic team was to establish the identity of the unidentified
body apart from doing PM examination, so that the body can be handed over the kin as early as possible to
end the uncertainty of their loved ones.
Aims & Objective: Forensic casework was carried out with aim to study the pattern of injuries in the bomb
blast cases, and to assess forensic management done in mass disaster.
Material and Method: Study was carried out on 15 dead bodies involved in the bomb blast injury. It
includes observation based on post mortem examination and assessment of forensic management done by
our team.
Result: Bomb blast injury includes complex of injuries like burn injury(100%), decapitation (33%), injury
of internal abdominal organs (40%) & chest organs (80%), fracture of bones (46%), Amputation of limbs
(33%), and external mechanical injuries like contusion, abrasions and lacerations (100%). Due to destructive
injuries identity of the victim gets obscured (40%).
Conclusion: Medicolegal postmortem, sample preservation and humanitarian action of establishing the
identity of victims are the forensic management in bomb blast injury.