Eight members of a single family, including five children, were killed in an explosion involving unexploded ordnance in Farah province, according to Taliban-linked media citing officials from the group.
The deadly incident occurred on Monday, September 9, in the Nowabad area of Bala Buluk district. Authorities have not yet released further details.
This tragedy underscores the ongoing threat posed by decades of war and contamination from landmines and unexploded ordnance across Afghanistan.
The HALO Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian mine clearance organization, recently reported that at least 6.8 million people in Afghanistan are at risk from unexploded ordnance. According to their data, around 40 children are killed or injured every month while collecting scrap metal to support their families—figures the organization warns may be significantly underreported.
After more than four decades of conflict, Afghanistan remains one of the most heavily landmine-contaminated countries in the world. The HALO Trust estimates that environmental contamination from explosive remnants of war affects around 20 percent of the population.
