5 children killed, 13 injured in Lakki Marwat mortar shell blast

LAKKI MARWAT: Five children were killed and 13 others, including two women, sustained injuries in an explosion caused by a mortar shell in the Langerkhel Surband area of Lakki Marwat district on Saturday.

Police and rescue officials said that a group of children found a mortar round in nearby fields and brought it back to their village. The shell exploded when the kids started playing with it near a rainwater-filled underground tank. As a result of the explosion, five children died on the spot while 13 others sustained injuries.

The deceased were identified as Zeenat Bibi, Sheela Bibi, Muzzammil, Rafiullah and Palwasha, all residents of Wanda Langerkhel Surband.

Thirteen others were injured in the incident who were identified as Luqman, Bilal, Shadab, Latifa Bibi, Mohsin, Fawad, Jamshed, Wajeeh, Riffat, Mumtaz Bibi, Fatima Bibi, Ahmed and Saqib. The injured were taken to Government City Hospital by Rescue 1122 teams.

Hospital authorities confirmed that at least five critically injured victims were referred to Khalifa Gul Nawaz (KGN) Hospital in Bannu for specialised treatment.

Regional Police Officer (RPO), Bannu, Sajjad Khan, visited the injured at KGN Hospital and directed hospital staff to provide the best possible medical care. He also stated that bomb disposal experts had been deployed to the area to collect evidence and determine the origin of the explosive.