4 children killed in Uganda grenade explosion

Kampala, Feb 18 A grenade explosion killed four children and injured five others on Thursday in Maaji II Refugee Settlement in the northwestern Ugandan district of Adjumani, police said.

Local police in a statement said the children picked the explosive from bush and took it home, where they were joined by other children, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The children were trying to cut the grenade with a 'panga' (a long knife) when it exploded, "killing three children on spot and leaving six others in critical condition," said the statement.

The six were rushed to a nearby health centre where one child died and the five others were transferred to Adjumani Hospital for further treatment.

Maaji II Refugee Settlement hosts more than 17,000 refugees from neighbouring South Sudan, according to figures from the United Nations Refugee Agency.

( With inputs from IANS )