At least four children have been confirmed dead after a grenade they were playing with exploded in Petaladu village, Budi County of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State on Tuesday.
Alfred Odong, the Executive Director for Budi County told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the children, while playing, placed the grenade on fire causing an explosion that killed three of them on the spot.
“So, they got a grenade and this grenade exploded and killed three of them on the spot. One was wounded and brought to Chukudum Hospital and later died. Four of them are kids,” he said.
The local official said the four children were between two and five years of age.
Joseph Hiteng Loyari, a relative of the children, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident saying the children are all relatives.
“It is a tragic and very terrifying incident. The family is all saddened because the children are all relatives and they are from the same clan from the same family. So we have had to combine the funeral,” he lamented.
Moi Isaac, a member of the Eastern Equatoria state parliament, confirmed the incident, describing it as tragic, and said authorities are investigating the source of the grenade.