Jaipur, Oct 5 : A 24-year-old Agniveer has died after a fire extinguisher gas cylinder exploded during a mock drill in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district, officials said on Saturday.

The accident took place on Friday noon near Golpura Army area of Sevar police station, officials confirmed.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Kumar of Sevar police station said, "In the mock drill during the training camp in Bharatpur, Jawan Saurabh threw the fire extinguisher cylinder upside down on the ground while practicing fire extinguishing. Soon, there was a loud explosion and the cylinder exploded. Pieces of the cylinder hit the Jawan's chest. The officer and fellow soldiers took him to Jindal Hospital in Bharatpur in critical condition. The Jawan's father Rakesh Pal was informed about the incident. Saurabh died during treatment at 8 p.m. The body was brought to the mortuary of RBM District Hospital at 10 p.m. The post-mortem was done on Saturday in the presence of the father and other family members."

Kumar said: "103 AD Army Battalion was performing a fire extinguishing mock drill in the Golpura Army area of Bharatpur on Friday noon. The rear part of the fire extinguisher cylinder of Agniveer Saurabh Pal (24), a resident of Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, exploded."

Lokesh Jindal, a doctor at Jindal Hospital, said: "Saurabh Pal was brought to the hospital at 12.30 p.m. in a critical condition on Friday. He was immediately taken to the emergency ward and put on a ventilator. However, there were many wounds on his body so his life could not be saved."

Saurabh joined the Indian Army a year ago on August 26, 2023, under the Agnipath scheme.

He came from a farmer's family and was a resident of Bhakhara village in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh.

Saurabh's father Rakesh Pal is a farmer while his mother passed away eight years ago.

Saurabh's father is survived by three daughters and two sons.

Last year, when Saurabh was selected as an Agniveer, there was a wave of happiness in the whole family.

On Friday, Saurabh's father Rakesh Pal reached Bharatpur on receiving the news of the accident with his son.

/IANS