QURGHON TEPPA, April 13, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Khatlon prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the wounding of a 15-year-old teenager in a shell blast in Sarband, acting chief prosecutor of Khatlon province Yusufjon Yusufzoda told reporters in Qurghon Teppa yesterday.

According to him, the case has been opened over responsible persons’ negligence.

“A 15-year-old teenager from the Zaghertut village Fayzali Qurbonaliyev found an unexploded shell for antitank grenade launcher at the training ground of power-wielding structures located in the area,” said the prosecutor, “The shell exploded when the teenager tried to dismantle it.  Fayzali sustained serious wounds and was taken to the central regional hospital in Qurghon Teppa.”

Yusufzoda added that the prosecutor’s office was currently investigating to find out which of power-wielding structures had left the shell at the training ground.

It is to be noted that it is not the first such an accident in Khatlon province this year.  We will recall that a 14-year-old teenager was killed in Khatlon’s Farkhor district on February 23 after a mortar shell exploded in his hands.  According to the Interior Ministry, the teenager was pasturing cattle and inadvertently crossed over into the territory of the shooting ground of one of border units deployed in the district.  “He found an unexploded mortar shell and attempted to dismantle it,” said the source, “The shell exploded and the boy died on the spot.”