Parcel explodes inside courier van in Maharashtra, airgun pistol suspected

A parcel exploded during unloading outside a Latur courier office on Saturday, injuring two workers. Police, forensic experts and the ATS are investigating the airgun shipment and its legal compliance.A parcel exploded during unloading outside a Latur courier office on Saturday, injuring two workers. Latur,Oct 31, 2026 19:39 ISTA parcel exploded while workers were unloading courier packages from a vehicle outside a courier office on Vilasrao Deshmukh Marg in Maharashtra's Latur on Saturday morning, triggering panic in the area and leaving two people injured.The incident took place around 10 am outside the Umate Courier office. Following the explosion, police, forensic experts and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) reached the spot and launched an investigation.Latur Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe said the explosion occurred inside a parcel box while workers were unloading packages from the vehicle. The police seized the burnt and damaged parcel box, its contents and other suspicious objects from the spot and sent them to a forensic laboratory for analysis.Two people sustained injuries in the explosion. One person, who was carrying parcels from the vehicle to the shop, suffered minor injuries. The second person, who was taking parcels out of the vehicle and handing them over, sustained serious injuries. Both were admitted to the civil hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. According to the preliminary investigation, the parcel had been sent from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to a shop named Banduk Ghar in Latur, which sells airgun pistols.SP Amol Tambe said the parcel contained an airgun pistol and cartridges filled with CO2 gas. The package had arrived in Latur two days before the incident and the vehicle carrying it had remained parked in the sun for the past two days. Police suspect that the heat from prolonged exposure to sunlight may have increased the temperature of the CO2 gas inside the cartridges. Friction between the cartridges may also have contributed to the explosion.However, the police have not yet established the exact number of airguns and cartridges inside the parcel or ruled out the presence of any explosive material. Tambe said the authorities would be able to confirm these details only after receiving the forensic laboratory report.The police have also launched an investigation under the Explosives Act to establish the complete details of the shipment and determine whether the transaction complied with legal requirements.Investigators are examining the courier service records, including who sent the parcel, who was supposed to receive it, the quantity of material inside it and the exact contents of the package.The investigation will also examine whether courier services can legally transport potentially explosive objects such as airguns and whether the parties involved had the necessary legal permissions for the transaction.- EndsWith inputs from Aniket Ankush Jadhav.