JALALABAD– Two women lost their lives and a teenage girl was seriously wounded, by an unexploded ordnance blast, in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar, a local official confirmed yesterday.
“The incident occurred in a house in Warsak village, Lal Pur district, on Tuesday, when an explosive remnants of war (ERW) exploded,” Basir Zabuli, the provincial police directorate, said.
According to the source, one of the victims found and brought the ERW home, after they returned, collecting firewood from nearby mountains, in an effort to sell the item as scrap metals.
Afghan officials use the term ERW, referring to unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO).
Landmines, anti-personnel mines, as well as ERWs, left behind from wars, kill or maim about 120 people every month in the country, according to Afghanistan’s Ministry for Disaster Management.
On Monday, at least six children and a vendor were killed and several others wounded, when an ERW exploded outside a school in remote Lal Pur district, near the border with Pakistan.
Source: NAM News Network