An adolescent boy from Kha Maung Seik village in northern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, died on the afternoon of February 2nd when a remnant grenade that was half buried in the ground exploded while he was trapping birds.

The deceased is grade-5 student Maung Kyaw Soe.

The exact details of the incident are not yet known, but the villagers confirmed that an old grenade half-buried in the ground exploded.

“We don't know if he grabbed the grenade or tinkered it with the knife, but eventually it exploded. No one saw the exact incident. The police who came to investigate said that it was caused by a grenade. The blast left a hole about a foot wide. He was lying dead beside the hole. His head, face, and hands were full of wounds”, a witness told Narinjara.

The victim was staying at home with her grandmother while his father and family members were visiting Maungdaw, and the tragedy happened when he went to lay traps to catch birds in Lay Myo Kay Thi glen, his father said.

“My son is only 13 years old and is a grade-5 student. His death at such a young age is so heartbreaking for me”, his father added.

The young man was buried at Kha Maung Seik Cemetery on February 3rd.