Kendrapada: Two fishermen were killed and one was critically injured when explosives being transported on a motorcycle detonated on NH-16 at Chatia in Jajpur district on Tuesday afternoon.The deceased have been identified as Rama Pingua (36) and Madhu Munda (38) from Kharia village.Mantu Patra, from the same village, sustained serious injuries and was initially taken to Barachana community health centre before being transferred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.”The explosion occurred around 4:30 pm when the explosives, concealed in the motorcycle’s storage compartment, suddenly detonated,” said Anshumala Das, inspector in-charge (IIC), Bairi police station. “The impact was so severe that both victims and the vehicle were blown apart.”Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased were allegedly involved inillegal fishing using explosives in local water bodies. Chemical substances of an explosive nature were recovered from the site and have been sent for scientific analysis.”We have registered a case under sections 3 and 5 of the Indian Explosive Substances Act and other BNS provisions,” Das added. “Investigation is underway to determine the source of the explosives and trace their supply chain.”The bodies have been sent to the district headquarters hospital in Jajpur for post-mortem.