Shilda, Feb. 16: Two of the three injured Eastern Frontier Rifles personnel now in a Jhargram hospital escaped being killed yesterday because they lay still and the attackers took them for dead.

Vinod Pradhan, 45, had gone to the tent housing the camp’s kitchen around 5pm for some food before going out on night patrol.

“Dambar (Chhetri) was supposed to come with me. But he was chatting to Gopal (Chhetri), who was on sentry duty, and asked me to go ahead,” said Vinod, from Kurseong.

However, the chapatis were not ready and he waited. “Five minutes later, I heard an explosion and then the rat-a-tat of automatic fire. I rushed out of the kitchen to find petrol bombs and grenades being hurled inside the compound. I headed to my tent to get my rifle. I ducked as I ran and saw a tent on the far-end go up in flames,” said Vinod.

Entering his tent, Vinod found Dambar lying dead on his face, clutching his bullet-proof jacket. Vinod grabbed his Insas rifle and rushed out when either a bullet or a splinter tore through the flesh of his right arm. “I fell with my rifle under me. I was drowned by the sound of firing and explosions. There were cries of pain and I realised that my colleagues were getting hit. Many tents were on fire and the area slowly lit up in a bright red glow. Guerrillas rushed into our tent and they stamped over me to pull the trunks and suitcases out into the compound. I lay still,” Vinod said.

After about 35 minutes, silence fell and he gathered enough courage to stand up. Vinod thought he was the only one alive. He scampered towards the edge of the compound, scaled a wall and hid himself on the other side. “After about 20 more minutes, I heard someone groaning in pain. I peeped over the wall and saw Lalbahadur. I climbed back into the compound and went to the kitchen, which was untouched by the fire. I brought water for Lalbahadur. Then I saw Bishnu Chhetri, trying to sit up beside a burning tent.”

Bishnu, 42, a resident of Salua, said from his hospital bed that he was chatting in his tent with colleagues when he heard the staccato burst of gunfire.“They were coming in hordes and firing all the time. Suraj (Bahadur Thapa) and Bihan (Kachari), who were with me, were riddled with bullets. Then I felt as if a burning coal has been pressed against my right leg. I fell and lay still,” said Bishnu. “When the tent beside me caught fire, I tried to sit up and found Vinod helping me,” he added.

Torn flesh was strewn around the camp compound this morning. Police teams were scanning the place for bodies, and bombs which the Maoists could have left behind.