At least 8 dead, 5 injured in rocket launcher shell explosion in Sindh’s Kandhkot

At least 8 people, including four children, lost their lives in a rocket launcher shell explosion in Sindh’s Kandhkot tehsil on Wednesday, Aaj News reported.

According to initial details given by the local police, children had brought a rocket shell at home after they found it while playing on the ground. The shell exploded when people at the home tried to break it to sell into the market, initial reports suggest.

The eight deceased include two women and four children.

The police said further investigation was under way and an emergency has been declared at the Kandhkot Civil Hospital.

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice Maqbool Baqar took notice and asked the Inspector General of Sindh to provide a report regarding the incident.

He sought an explanation about how the rocket launcher ended up there, and if any stock of weapons was being smuggled to the 'kutcha' areas.

The chief minister instructed the IG Sindh to provide a detailed report on how the rocket launcher was detonated, causing such significant damage.

Governor Sindh kamran Tessori also took notice of the incident, seeking a report from the IG Sindh and Commissioner Larkana.

In a statement issued on the official X account of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), its chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed condolence over the tragic incident and demanded a thorough investigation.

"Measures should be taken to prevent 'Kacha' areas of Sindh and Punjab from becoming hotbeds of weapons and crime," he said.