Blast kills seven, injures three in eastern DRC

What the report says

Seven civilians were killed and three others seriously injured after an abandoned explosive device detonated in Nyarubara-Rugunga village in Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to The Observer. Local residents said a child found the object in a field and began handling it before the blast occurred. The report said six people, including women and children, died at the scene, while another later died at Bugusa Health Centre in Rutshuru. A cow also was killed, and the injured were taken to the same health facility for treatment.

The article said fighters from the March 23 Movement/Alliance River Congo, or M23/AFC, which controls the area, arrived soon after the explosion and removed the bodies to Rutshuru General Hospital. On Saturday evening, M23/AFC spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka confirmed the deaths and injuries and said the incident was linked to an explosive device allegedly planted by “enemies of peace.” He also urged civilians to avoid handling suspicious objects and to report them to authorities as part of demining precautions.

The blast underscores the risks posed by unexploded ordnance in conflict-affected parts of eastern DRC. The region has seen continued fighting and territorial shifts involving M23/AFC, while the Congolese government has accused Rwanda of backing the group, claims both Rwanda and the movement deny. The Observer’s report places the accident within that broader security crisis, where civilians face violence as well as hazards from abandoned explosives.