Mortar causes deadly explosion in Garut

GARUT, West Java: A mortar shell of an F-90 Commando was found to be the explosive material that caused an explosion at Simpang village in Cikijing district of Garut regency on Friday, which had claimed three lives.

The mortar killed two children, identified as Opi, 10, and Ricki, 7, and their mother Sopiah, 27; and injured Ijal, 40, their neighbor.

An officer with the Disaster Relief Unit, identified as Maman, said on Saturday that the mortar exploded when the children were playing with the "gift" from their grandfather, by beating it repeatedly.

He said that Uju, 55, the grandfather, had obtained the mortar from a friend in another village, whose son was an Army officer. Maman said that Uju and his friend did not know that the mortar was active.

Garut Police are still conducting an investigation into the incident. The three bodies are still in the morgue at Slamet Hospital pending an autopsy and Ijal is still in the hospital's intensive care unit --Antara