One killed, six injured as children mistake bomb for toy in Peshawar

The children bashed the device they had found in the field with stones, causing an explosion

PESHAWAR: A child was killed while six others were severely injured after an explosive device they were playing with went off in Pishtakhara area on the outskirts of Peshawar on Sunday.

Zubair, 10, was killed in the accident while the injured include Aqil, 17, Azeem, 14, Samiullah, 12, Junaid 12, Ismail and Rahil who were both eight.

Pishtakhara ASP Shoaib told The Express Tribune that the children found the device in the fields and began playing with it.



Subsequently, they gathered stones and pounded the explosive causing it to go off.

The victims were rushed to Khyber Teaching Hospital where the condition of the injured is said to be stable. Zubair's body was later handed over to his family.

Shoaib added that they could not yet ascertain if the device was a mortar shell or something else. "The explosive has been sent to the laboratory for a forensic report and it will come back on Monday," he said.

Local police, however, believe that the children found an old shell that had been left in the fields and began playing with it, causing an explosion.