5 children killed, 12 injured in mortar shell explosion in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar: Five children were killed and 12 others injured when an old mortar shell they were playing with exploded in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred in the Lakki Marwat district when a group of children discovered an unexploded mortar shell in the hills and brought it back to their village.

According to police, the device detonated while they were playing with it, unaware that it was a bomb.

Five children were killed and 12 others injured in the blast, they said.

Rescue teams promptly arrived at the scene, transporting the deceased and injured to the nearby City Hospital, officials said.

According to the hospital spokesperson, most of the 12 injured are children, some of whom are in critical condition.

The incident has caused widespread panic among residents.