Child dies in grenade explosion

CEBU, Philippines - A 10-year-old boy died hours after the rifle grenade he was playing with outside their house in Sitio Nicaragua, Barangay Poblacion, Danao City exploded Wednesday afternoon.

The loud explosion caught the attention of the parents of Albert James Lawas before they saw him bleeding and crawling towards their house calling for help.

Lawas was rushed to the Danao City District Hospital and referred to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center due to injuries in the legs, right hand, chest, mouth and left eye.

But he died yesterday morning after hours of struggle at the hospital. 

According to Chief Insp. Ricky Delelis, Danao City police chief, the boy was a scavenger and was looking for scrap when he found the rifle grenade at the corner of the barangay road as he was heading home.

According to the neighbors, Lawas was playing with the grenade, checking what he just found.  Delelis explained that a rifle grenade is rifle-initiated but it also explodes when there is heat or friction, or even if hit by a hard object.

“Pinupukpok siguro ng bata dahil hindi nga niya alam kung ano ‘yun para bang curious siya,” he said.

The grandmother of the victim who was doing the laundry at the back of the house saw the incident and called the parents for help.

The Danao police have yet to ascertain where the grenade came from. — (FREEMAN)