Unconventional means to achieve certain ends (often referred to 'jugaad' in India) is quite common in Asia, but a woman from China has taken it to a whole new level, using a stick hand grenade as a hammer for over 20 years.
According to a report by South China Morning Post, an elderly woman in China had been using the stick hand grenade to embed nails and crack nuts for years, up until recently, when it was confiscated by authorities.
As per the report, 90-year-old Qin from the Hubei province in central China had found the grenade over two decades ago on her farm in Huangbao county.
Mistaking the unusual "metal lump" as she described it as a hammer, Qin decided to take it home and use it for household tasks.
"I’ve been using it at home to pound red pepper, crack nuts, and hammer in nails," the 90-year-old was quoted as saying.
Online videos showed that the handle of the grenade had been rendered smooth by years and years of daily use, while a section of the grenade's fuse was also seen to be exposed.
Understandably, how the grenade did not explode for all these years left people on the internet baffled.
Reports suggest that the grenade in question was a Chinese-made Type 67, which can be identified by the protective metal cap on its handle.
The deadly nature of Qin's useful tool came to light on June 23 this year, when workers demolishing her old house saw it for what it really was—a hand grenade.
Alarmed, the workers alerted the authorities, prompting the Huangbao police to quickly send a bomb disposal squad to confiscate the grenade and destroy it.
"After confiscating the grenade, we asked professionals to destroy it," the police were quoted as saying.
Perhaps rattled by the incident, police officers also issued a stark warning: "If you find any suspicious objects that look like hand grenades, you must report it to the police immediately. Do not touch it or use it as a hammer, or the consequences could be disastrous!"
Published 27 June 2024, 11:04 IST