Child injured by unexploded ordnance blast in Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – A child was seriously injured on Tuesday after an unexploded war remnant detonated in the northern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
A local source from the town of al-Suwar told North Press that the explosive remnant went off while nine-year-old Haytham al-Samir was handling it and attempting to dismantle it on the outskirts of the town’s desert area.
The source said the child sustained multiple shrapnel wounds after fragments lodged in his body. He was hospitalized to Damascus for treatment and is in very critical condition, according to a doctor in the town.
The source added that similar incidents occur from time to time as the area remains heavily contaminated with unexploded war remnants.
Since the beginning of April, seven people have lost their lives and four others have been injured in similar incidents across Deir ez-Zor countryside alone, the source noted.