In brief
In the Shapoli area of Dand Patan district, a piece of unexploded ordnance detonated after children began playing with it, killing one child on the spot and injuring four. Provincial police spokesman Munib Zadran reported the incident. Afghan officials confirm the country remains a dangerous minefield, a legacy of more than four decades of war.
In the Shapoli area of Dand Patan district in Paktia province, a forgotten bomb that remained from earlier conflicts blew up after children came across it. On Friday, the device exploded, killing a child instantly and leaving four others wounded, according to a local police spokesman.
Munib Zadran, the provincial police spokesman, said the children had found the object and were playing with it when it detonated. He confirmed the injuries and the death, and said emergency crews rushed to the scene to provide medical help.
The Shapoli area lies in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktia province, a region that has seen many clashes over the past few decades. Each war left behind shells and mines, flaring the danger for civilians long after hostilities have ended.
The incident highlights a broader problem: Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily contaminated countries, with landmines and other unexploded ordnance scattered across its countryside. Officials estimate that millions of square meters remain dangerous, especially in former battle sites.
Local residents often report stumbling on hidden bombs while working in fields or walking along roads, which can lead to sudden explosions. The danger is not limited to military zones; it can affect ordinary villages where children play or where farmers walk to water sources.
Families in Dand Patan district, including the victims’ households, have long feared finding a stray device among the ruins, and many have taken extreme precautions, avoiding open fields and outdoors during spring and summer when the sun can expose old shrapnel.
After the explosion, ambulances raced to deliver wounded children to a nearby health center. Doctors reported that the injuries ranged from shrapnel wounds to broken bones, and one child was unresponsive and passed away immediately at the scene.
The local police station coordinated the emergency response, dispatching a unit of specialists trained in dealing with military ordnance. They secured the area to prevent further accidents while the body was recovered.
Cross‑border refugees sometimes travel through Paktia province, adding a dimension of human vulnerability to the region. The explosion prompted a call from humanitarian workers for stricter monitoring of the area and labeling of unsafe zones to warn travelers and locals alike.
The Afghan government has pledged to address its mine problem. In recent years, the government has partnered with international organizations to clear contaminated zones and conduct public education campaigns. However, progress is slow, and many clear‑up projects have been delayed by funding issues and ongoing local insecurity.
Despite the risks, the residents of Dand Patan district persevere. They continue to cultivate crops, support livestock, and maintain their daily routines, trusting that the settlement will one day be safe from the hidden dangers that linger in the ground.
For now, the tragedy of a child’s death serves as a grim reminder of Afghanistan’s unresolved legacy of war and the devastating impact of unexploded ordnance on children and communities across the country.