Elderly woman in China unknowingly used hand grenade as hammer for 20 years

Grandma in China unknowingly used hand grenade as hammer for 20 years

Around 20 years ago in Hubei, China, a now 90-year-old woman found an usual lump of metal while working on her farm.

Due to its shape, she mistakenly thought it was a hammer. So she took it home and unknowingly used what was actually a hand grenade as a hammer.

Hand grenade used as hammer until it was filled with dents

The woman, surnamed Qin, used the “hammer” extensively over the next 20 years.

“I’ve been using it at home to pound red pepper, crack nuts, and hammer in nails,” she said.

According to the South China Morning Post, Mdm Qin used the item so much that the grenade’s wooden handle had become smooth and glossy. The metal head also showed significant wear and tear with pits from the hammering.

The grenade’s fuse was even exposed.

Grenade discovered by workers

On 23 June, workers demolishing the woman’s old home discovered that her “hammer” was actually a grenade. They then immediately notified authorities and a bomb disposal unit was sent to handle the grenade-turned-hammer.

The officers even held an impromptu safety education session for the villagers. Villagers were warned to report suspicious metal objects to the authorities, and not use them as hammers.

“The consequences could be disastrous!” the officers warned.

The grenade was reportedly a domestic Type 67, according to Dazhong Daily.

Online speculation suggested that the grenade may be a training grenade and not filled with gunpowder. Overall, netizens were amused by the discovery and the old lady’s luck.

Also read: 86-year-old man in China marries long-lost uni sweetheart after reuniting decades later

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Featured image adapted from GMW.cn.