Child killed, 9 injured in hand grenade explosion in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan

Karachi, October 17

A child was killed and eight others injured on Tuesday when a hand grenade exploded in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province.

According to police, a group of children belonging to a religious seminary were playing with the hand grenade when it exploded in the Zarchain area of Wadh city.

The injured were immediately transported to a local hospital.

Police and law-enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and launched a detailed investigation.

“This is not the first time such an incident has taken place. Militants and separatists leave behind or drop such dangerous explosives and when children find them they end up being killed or injured,” Wadh DSP Abdul Manaf said.

He said hand grenades were left behind by the militants and separatists operating in the province and in some cases even rocket launchers had gone off when found and children tried to play with them.

Last month, nine people, including four children, lost their lives while a woman was injured when a rocket launcher’s ordnance exploded in a house in Sindh’s Kashmore district.

In April, in a similar incident three children were killed when a hand grenade they found exploded in Shaman.