Local sources have revealed that the accidental detonation of an explosive device in a field in the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of the Congo has resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals and the injuries of 16 others.
The explosion happened on Wednesday night in Lubwe Sud, which is part of the Rutshuru region of North Kivu province.
A local civil society leader named Justin Mwangaza told AFP that a civilian had picked up a bomb in a field and passed it to a militiaman before it exploded.
According to him, 16 people were hurt, and 9 individuals died.
The number was confirmed by a nurse at a neighbouring facility, who added that two victims passed away immediately and seven more later died from their injuries.
According to the nurse, some of the 16 injured patients are in critical condition.
The death toll could not be independently verified by AFP.
A large portion of eastern DRC has been plagued by armed groups for decades as a result of local conflicts that erupted in the 1990s and 2000s.
