An 11-year-old boy is receiving treatment in the hospital after a grenade explosion tore through his abdomen, arm, and thigh during a fishing trip in Kitgum District, northern Uganda, police reported on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening when Andrew Omara, while digging for earthworms along River Pager in Lamit Kapim South Cell, Pager Division, accidentally triggered the explosion with a stick.
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According to Aswa East Regional Police spokesperson Joe Oloya, Omara had picked up what turned out to be a 48mm grenade and began playing with it after his friend read the markings and handed it back to him. “The boy’s condition is stable,” Oloya said.
Omara had discovered the explosive in the muddy riverbank and brought it onto dry land, where he attempted to open it, causing it to detonate. His companion, Jonathan Ocira, had initially examined the device but deemed it dangerous and gave it back to Omara.
Omara was rushed to Kitgum General Hospital, where he remains under medical care.
This explosion is the latest in a series of deadly incidents involving unexploded ordnance in the Acholi sub-region, which still bears scars from past armed conflicts, including the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency.
Less than two months ago, a similar explosion in Ogwari ‘A’ Village, Omoro District, killed an eight-year-old boy and injured three other children who had discovered a grenade while playing after heavy rains.
The deceased, Yasin Alenga, died a few hours after the blast. The survivors—Abraham Oloya (5), Darius Opiyo (12), Jerry Alobo (2), and Apollo Okello (8)—sustained serious injuries. Ogwari is close to Awere Hills, once a key LRA hideout.
In March, 47-year-old Esther Ayao was instantly killed when she stepped on a grenade while gardening in Nimu Village, Lamwo District.
Police confirm that at least two people have died and several others have been wounded in grenade-related incidents in recent months. The recurring tragedies have prompted local leaders and residents to call for urgent mine-clearing operations and increased public awareness to avoid further harm.
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