UXO blast kills two children in North Darfur
July 8, 2016 (El FASHER). An unexploded Ordinance (UXO) on Friday has killed two children and seriously wounded their sister in Malit locality, 60 kilometers north of El-Fasher the capital of North Darfur State.
Mellit Commissioner, Abdel-Karim Youssef Friday told Sudan Tribune he was notified around 11 am that an UXO has detonated in Um Sarir village southeast of his locality.
“Three children were playing with the UXO and put it on fire and the body exploded killing the two brothers and seriously injuring their 10 years old sister whom was evacuated to Mellit hospital,” Youssef said.
He further said that a security team has been dispatched to the explosion scene, pointing that UXOs are common in the area after long years of conflict.
The commissioner stressed that more efforts are needed to educate people on the dangers of UXOs.
Last June, a child was killed and two others were wounded when a RPG-7 grenade detonated in Zam Zam IDPs camp, 15 kilometers south of El Fasher.
Previously in March, two nomadic boys were killed and two others were wounded when an UXO detonated in Um Sadir village, 60 kilometers north Kutum Locality in North Darfur State.
UXO’s represents great danger in Darfur region which has seen war for over a decade.
UXOs are classified as explosive weapons and include bombs, bullets, shells, grenades and land mines that did not explode when they were deployed and therefore still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.
Many areas of Darfur remain littered with mines and other explosives due to the protracted conflict between rebels, government forces and allied militiamen.
While the joint peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) has taken recent steps to de-mine large tracts of land, it says ongoing insecurity in the region continues to interfere with efforts to fully address the issue.
(ST)