Pakistan: Nine Killed In Explosion As Children Play With Rocket Shell In Sindh

In Pakistan's Sindh province, at least nine individuals, including children were killed in an explosion while playing with a rocket shell.

At least nine people, including five children, of the same family were killed on Wednesday when a rocket launcher’s shell exploded at a house when the kids were playing with the ammunition in Pakistan's Sindh province, news agency PTI reported citing police officials.

Kashmore-Kandhkot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohil Khosa confirmed the incident, revealing that among the casualties were five children, two women, and two men, all belonging to the same family. In addition to the fatalities, five other individuals sustained injuries in the blast and were transported to a hospital for medical attention, the report said. 

“This is an area on the riverine belt and the rocket shell must have been left there by dacoits who hide out deep into the riverine belt areas,” Khoso was quoted as saying by PTI.

According to the report, the SSP informed that the police had arrived at the scene, and further investigations were underway. An "emergency" had been declared at the Kandhkot Civil Hospital to manage the situation effectively.

In response to the distressing incident, former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed his concerns on Twitter, highlighting how the riverine regions of Sindh and Punjab had unfortunately become sanctuaries for criminal gangs. He urged the government to take swift action to eliminate such elements from the area.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Justice Maqbool Baqar has requested a report from the provincial inspector general regarding how a rocket launcher found its way to the Zangi Subzwai Goth village in Kashmore district's Kandhkot tehsil, Dawn News reported.

“Was any stock of weapons being smuggled to the Kutcha areas? Are there enablers of the dacoits present in the goth (village)?”, he asked.

"Was any stock of weapons being smuggled to the Kutcha areas? Are there enablers of the dacoits present in the goth (village)?," the Chief Minister inquired. Expressing his deep sorrow over the incident, Baqar instructed the inspector general to furnish a "detailed report" to shed light on the tragic occurrence, as reported by PTI.