KATHMANDU: Four children were killed when a powerful bomb exploded in the remote Rolpa district of Western Nepal on Thursday, an official said. The blast occurred in Duwagaun village of Triveni Rural Municipality-7, Chief District Officer Laxman Dhakal said.
The deceased have been identified as 14-year-old Lokiram Dangi, 11-year-old Bimala Khatri, 5-year-old Bijaya Khatri and 13-year-old Gaurab Nepali. The blast occurred when the minors were playing. The incident site is some 30 kilometers from Libang, the district headquarters. "Some explosives have been found around the incident site," the official said.
The security personnel are investigating the matter. The local police suspect that the explosive could have been left by the Maoist rebels during the decade-long armed conflict. More than 16,000 people including security personnel were killed during the armed insurgency.