3 children die in a 'toy bomb' blast near India-Pak border

Lahore, Nov 4: Three children were killed today and another injured when a "toy bomb" exploded in a village bordering India in Pakistan's Punjab province.

There were conflicting reports about the explosion in Tughalpura village in Narowal district, some 80 kilometres from Lahore, where three children aged between 7 and 10 were killed and one suffered serious injuries. Police official Abdul Jabbar said four children were present when an "undetonated shell" fired earlier by the Indian forces exploded, killing three of them on the spot while the fourth suffered injuries and was shifted to a military hospital in Sialkot district.

Another report said the children found a "toy bomb" that exploded while they were playing with it. "The government has constituted an investigation team to probe the matter. Initial reports suggest it was a mortar shell fired by the Indian forces," Punjab government spokesman Zaeem Qadri told PTI. "However, the investigation team will thoroughly investigate the matter and report it to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the earliest," he added.

PTI