Luanda, March 12, 2026 (Lusa) - A land mine exploded and killed three children and injured another in the town of Canhongo, 65 kilometres from the municipal headquarters of Menongue, capital of Cubango province, local media reported on Thursday.

The accident occurred when the children, aged between 5 and 12, were playing in a field where they found the 82-millimetre mortar shell, João Próspero, a specialist from the National Demining Centre, told the Angolan news agency ANGOP.

According to the source, the explosive device was found by the owner of the field the day before, but he did not report it to the authorities, merely covering the object with a sieve.

João Próspero stressed that the children were accompanied by their mother, who had been hired to clean the field and had brought her children with her to help with the work.

Two minors died at the scene of the accident, while the third died in hospital. The fourth child is being treated at Cubango General Hospital, where he underwent surgery and is under continuous observation.

This is the first such accident recorded in the province, according to authorities, and checks are underway in the area where the mine exploded.

Angola experiences recurring mine accidents due to more than three decades of civil war, which ended in 2002.

On the ground, several operators from non-governmental organisations and the Angolan state are carrying out demining activities.

The Portuguese-speaking country still has 966 areas suspected of containing mines, according to data from the National Mine Action Agency, covering 60,866,147 square metres, with the most affected provinces being Bié, Cuando, Cubango, Cuanza Sul, Moxico and Moxico Leste.

Last year, the Angolan government announced that it intended, for the third time, to extend the deadline for clearing anti-personnel mines by another five years, as required by Article 5 of the Ottawa Convention.

NME/ADB // ADB.

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