Elderly woman unwittingly used live grenade as hammer for 20 years
3 July 2024 18:09
An unusual discovery occurred in Hubei province, central China. A 90-year-old woman had been using an unconventional tool as a hammer. After 20 years, it was revealed that the grandmother had been hammering nails with a hand grenade.
Several years ago, handmade tools were immensely popular due to the lack of access to factories producing essential items on a large scale, cost, or availability. Particularly, people living in rural areas or those from lower social classes often made necessary tools themselves or repurposed items they found. Problems arise when the used item turns out to be dangerously unsafe.
Chinese grandmother was hammering nails with a hand grenade
More than 20 years ago, a woman from Xiangyang in Hubei province, central China, found a metal lump with a wooden handle on her farm in Huangbao County. Then, the 70-year-old grandmother, Qin, decided to use the strange tool as a hammer. For over 20 years, she used the find for various household tasks: hammering nails, cracking nuts, or crushing red pepper into paste.
On June 23, workers arrived at Qin's home to demolish her old building. The men were horrified when they realized that the elderly woman's hammer was a hand grenade.
Police secured the "hammer"
The workers immediately reported the find to local authorities. The information reached the police station in Huangbao. The officers then referred the case to local public safety authorities, who sent an explosive ordnance disposal unit to the site. In an online video, the grenade's handle appeared polished from frequent use, and there were indentations on the head from regular striking. During the tool's usage, the elderly woman was also exposed to part of the detonator.
Police in Xiangyang village conducted training on unusual finds, during which they warned: "If you find any suspicious items that look like hand grenades, you must report them to the police immediately. Do not touch them or use them as a hammer, as the consequences could be catastrophic!"
Weapon experts report that the found hand grenade is a Chinese type 67.
