Two women killed in unexploded ordnance blast in East Afghanistan

Two women lost their lives and a teenaged girl was seriously injured in an unexploded ordnance blast in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, a local official confirmed on Wednesday.

"The incident occurred in a house in Warsak village, Lal Pur district, on Tuesday when explosive remnants of war (ERW) exploded," Xinhua news agency reported citing Basir Zabuli from the provincial police directorate.

According to the source, one of the victims found and brought the ERW after they returned from collecting firewood from nearby mountains, in an effort to sell the item as scrap metal in the village.

Afghan officials use the term ERW referring to unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO).


Landmines, anti-personnel mines as well as ERWs left behind from wars kill or maim about 120 people every month in the post-conflict country, according to Afghanistan's State Ministry for Disaster Management.

On Monday, at least six children and a vendor were killed and several others injured when an ERW exploded outside a school in remote Lal Pur district, near the border with Pakistan.-IANS