A policeman in India has been hailed a hero after he picked up a live bomb with his bare hands and ran 1km to deposit it away from 400 school children.
Last Friday a bomb was discovered in the playground of a local school in Madhya Pradesh and the police were called to handle the situation.
With no bomb disposal at hand, head constable Abhiskek Patel, 40, decided to pick up the 12-inch bomb and carried the 10kg weight on his shoulder while running to a safe distance.
The officer risked his life to save the children and is now being praised for his courage and bravery.
He told NDTV:
Since it was a residential area and a school compound, my only aim was to carry the bomb as far away as possible from there.
We have learnt during our training that had it exploded, it would have damaged 500 metres of the surrounding area.
Ashok Gehlot, from the All India Congress Committee, added:
Head Constable Abhishek Patel has shown [a] great sense of duty and courage by carrying away a bomb found in a school.
Patel and his entire unit, who rushed to save children deserve our applause.
Footage has been shared on social media of Patel running with the explosive which was later safely detonated in a controlled explosion.
You can watch the video here:
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An investigation into where the device came from and how it reached the school is currently underway.
It is believed that it may be from an army range close to the village and school.
