The minor was playing on the banks of a river when he found the object.
News Colombia.
In a rural area of the municipality of Medio San Juan, Chocó, a boy of only 9 years old was seriously injured after the explosion of an antipersonnel mine while he was playing on the banks of the San Juan River.
According to the authorities’ report, the minor found a strange package that, unfortunately, turned out to be an explosive device. The explosion caused serious injuries to his face and right hand, as well as shrapnel damage to his chest, abdomen and extremities.
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“The minor was playing near his home and, upon finding an unknown object, it exploded, causing him serious injuries,” said Colonel José Urrego, commander of the Chocó Police.
A nine-year-old boy is the latest victim of an anti-personnel mine in the department of Chocó.
The boy, authorities say, saw an item on the banks of the San Juan River and picked it up to play with it in the water. Minutes after holding it in his hands, it exploded. pic.twitter.com/BoGwzuZpjO— Alternative Magazine (@AlternativaCol) September 19, 2024
The rapid intervention of the Joint Task Force Titan was crucial in the care of the child. The uniformed officers arrived at the district of Noanamá to provide first aid. However, the difficulty of access to the area complicated his transfer to a medical center, which was done hours after what happened to Istmina and then he was sent to the departmental hospital of Quibdó, according to Noticias RCN.
Artifact would have been left by the ELN
Authorities said the explosive device was allegedly left by the ELN armed group. In response to this incident, the Armed Forces expressed their firm rejection of the use of antipersonnel mines.
«The Military Forces reject the installation and use of improvised explosive devices by the organized armed group “ELN, who commit crimes in the jurisdiction, and put the lives of the inhabitants of this community at risk, violating human rights norms and international humanitarian law,” they said.
In the district of Noanamá, in Medio San Juan #Chocóa child was injured by an improvised explosive device.
Given this fact, the @COL_EJERCITO and the @ArmadaColombia They provided humanitarian assistance, promoting the well-being of the minor.#OurCommitmentIs🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/1g9dHyWCJV— FTC_TITAN_ (@FTC_TITAN_) September 19, 2024
Finally, the governor of the department, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, made an urgent call for demining. “The army urgently needs supplies to deal with this threat. The humanitarian assistance promised by the government is urgent.”
A minor was seriously injured by the detonation of an explosive device in the water while he was swimming in the San Juan River. The minor has already been transferred from the community to receive medical attention. We have insisted on denouncing that the territory is mined. And that the dispute…
— Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi (@NubiaCarolinaCC) September 19, 2024
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