3 kids die while playing with grenade ammunition

THREE children were killed after playing with an M203 grenade launcher ammunition on Monday evening at a house in Surigao del Sur, the Philippine Army reported on Tuesday.

First Lt. Michael Pascua, civil Army’s 75th Infantry Battalion (IB), said the ammunition exploded at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at Purok 6, Sitio Neptune, Barangay Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.

A squad coming from the 75th IB and Lianga police personnel to the area to verify the incident.

Pascua said the residence where the ammunition exploded is owned by Reger Galdiano.

Rynna Tui, 12; Renz Galdiano, 3; and Reden Galdian, 1.

Based on an initial report of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Pascua said, the threeyear-old Galdiano was playing and throwing the ammunition at the terrace of the house while the two other victims were also on the same terrace.

After a few minutes, residents near the household heard an explosion and upon checking, the three children were found dead

Personnel from the PNP’s Scene of the Crime Operative (SOCO) went to the area an hour after the incident happened to document it and they found fragments of the grenade launcher ammunition, Pascua said.

As of their latest report, he added, the ammunition was only “picked up” by the owner of the house two years ago.

Pascua said Lt. Col. Jaime Datuin, 75th IB commander, extended support to the families of the victims and advised civilians in the area to turn over to authorities any explosives, am their possession.