Seven people were killed and three others seriously injured on Saturday after an explosive device detonated in Rugunga village, Gikoro area, Jomba Grouping, Rutshuru Territory, according to AFC-M23.
AFC-M23 said the device exploded after a child found it in a field, unaware of what it was, and began handling it, causing it to detonate.
The injured were immediately taken to Rutshuru Referral Hospital for treatment, according to the armed group.
AFC-M23 expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, offering condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones as well as to the injured.
The group urged residents in the areas it controls to follow guidelines put in place regarding avoiding explosive devices that may remain in areas that were previously sites of fighting.
AFC/M23 asked residents not to touch any object suspected of being explosive, whether found in a field, at home, or on the road, and not to move it or attempt to defuse it. It asked that such items be reported immediately to the relevant authorities.
AFC-M23 said the device had been planted by those it called “enemies of peace,” but did not provide evidence to support that claim or identify who placed it at the site of the explosion.
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has for many years been marked by fighting between armed groups and government forces. Unexploded ordnance and other war remnants left behind in former conflict zones continue to pose a danger to the population.
Mwizerwa Ally
Rwandatribune.rw
