Explosives found at Jaisalmer Fort

Narayan Bareth
BBC correspondent in Jaipur

Police in the western Indian state of Rajasthan have sealed off a part of the famous 12th century Jaisalmer Fort after a huge cache of explosives was found.

The police chief of Jaisalmer, Sanjeev Narjari, told the BBC the explosives could be hundreds of years old and were found in rubble by workers.

The golden sandstone fort is the second oldest in Rajasthan and is a star attraction for tourists.

Mr Narjari said the area was close to a medieval mint that was working during the rule of the Hindu Bhati princes in the 12th century.

He said about 70 blocks of explosives had been found.

The police chief said it appeared the explosives belonged to the medieval period.

Prime attraction

Forensic experts had been summoned from the state capital Jaipur to examine the find.

The Amber Fort in Jaipur, one of Rajasthan's many treasures

Officers from a nearby air force base have already inspected the site.

The 800-year-old Jaisalmer Fort is a prime tourist attraction and still houses an entire township within its ramparts.

This is not the first time live explosives have been discovered at the fort.

In 1997, a construction worker caused a blast when he threw a lit cigarette into an area that served as an explosives dump during the royal period.

Similar incidents have been reported at other forts and old buildings in the state.

In 1999, 11 people were killed in a blast at an old explosives dump in a medieval building in Swai Madhopur district.