5 children killed, 12 injured after mortar shell explodes in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Five children were killed and 12 others injured when an old mortar shell they were playing with exploded in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said. The incident occurred in the Lakki Marwat district when a group of children discovered an unexploded mortar shell in the hills and brought it back to their village. According to police, the device detonated while they were playing with it, unaware that it was a bomb.

The incident has caused widespread panic among residents. According to the hospital spokesperson, most of the 12 injured are children, some of whom are in critical condition.

How children lost their lives in the explosion?

Five children were killed and 12 others injured in the blast, they said. Citing Aamir Khan, the spokesperson for the Bannu region police, Dawn reported that children "discovered" the shell in a nearby field and, mistaking it for a toy, brought it back to their village in Sorband. According to Khan, the device detonated while the children were playing with it. The victims were immediately rushed to Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu, where the injured are currently receiving emergency medical care. Khan also said, "the deceased and injured children have been transported to Khalifa Gul Nawaz hospital," as quoted by The Dawn.

The RPO issued a statement saying that the Bomb Disposal Squad had reached the blast site, collected forensic evidence, and launched an investigation. Such incidents have been recurring in Pakistan and this incident highlights its dangers. As per Dawn, similar tragedies have occurred in the past; in October 2023, a grenade explosion in Balochistan's Wadh area killed one child and injured eight others. A month earlier, nine people, including four children, died in Sindh's Kashmore district after a rocket launcher round exploded inside a home.


(With inputs from agencies)