Six children killed in grenade explosion

Six children have been confirmed dead and five others sustained serious injuries when a grenade they were playing with exploded.

The incident according to  Superintendent of Police Josephine Angucia , the West Nile Police spokesperson, the incident happened at Maji ll Refugee Settlement in Adjumani district on Wednesday.

“It is alleged that a group of children residing at Maji ll Refugee Settlement went to the bush on a playing spree and picked an object which they didn’t know properly and tried to cut it through using a Panga. Unfortunately, the object exploded killing six of them and injuring five,”Angucia said.

She noted that after getting information, the area District Police Commander rushed to the scene where three children had died instantly whereas others were nursing injuries.

The injured were rushed to Maji health centre from where three others were pronounced dead.

The regional police spokesperson identified the dead as Joseph Otto, 6,  James Drago,9, Emmanuel Duku,7, Isaac Amaruma,11, Thomas Edema,10 and Justine Mandre aged 14 whereas the injured include Jonathan Wani, 10, James Abao,7,Dominic Andruga,14 and Joyce Bazio, 12 years.

According to Angucia, preliminary investigations have indicated that the bomb could have been one of the many suspected to have been left behind in the bushes by former Lord’s Resistance Army rebels who infested the area in late 1980s to early 90s as Adjumani District by then was one of the areas habouring the rebels.

“It is therefore important for members of the community and dealers in scrap metal business to guard against dealing with suspicious-looking metallic objects found in the bushes as they could be bombs. Parents and guardians should specifically advice their children not to play anyhow with such suspicious-looking metals in order to prevent such deadly incidences,”Angucia advised.

“This also applies to areas which were formerly habouring rebels. They should instead inform the area authorities, police or army for proper management.”