A horrific explosion killed seven people in eastern Afghanistan on Monday evening when a scrap metal collector tried to saw into an unexploded artillery shell. The tragedy happened in the Barmal district of Paktika province. It highlights a brutal reality that locals face every single day.
The blast wiped out five children, the scrap collector, and another adult right outside a family home. Don't miss our previous coverage on this related article.
A local resident named Yaqoob Khan explained that the collector was trying to open the shell to remove the explosives inside so he could sell them. His children had gathered around him to watch.
The blast was so violent that neighbors thought fighter jets were dropping bombs on their village. Those who rushed to the scene described a nightmare. They found victims who had lost limbs, and they had to collect the remains of the dead from the debris. Health officials confirmed that several others were left seriously injured. If you want more about the context of this, Associated Press offers an informative summary.
Why Landmines and Leftover Shells Keep Killing
This isn't an isolated incident. Decades of constant war have turned Afghanistan into a massive minefield of unexploded ordnance (UXO). According to United Nations data, the country ranks third highest globally for casualties caused by explosive remnants of war.
Between January 2025 and April 2026, explosive ordnance killed 126 people and injured 489 others across the country. The eastern region bears the absolute brunt of these accidents.
The connection between scrap metal collection and these deadly explosions is direct. People look for metal to sell just to buy food. It is desperate work, and it is incredibly dangerous. Nick Pond, head of the Mine Action Section of the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), pointed out that collecting scrap metal is one of the top activities leading to these horrific accidents.
The Deadly Economics of Salvage
People know the risks, but poverty drives them to take the gamble anyway. A single artillery shell contains heavy metal and valuable explosive powder that can be resold on the black market. For a desperate father trying to feed his kids, that shell looks like a payday instead of a bomb.
The problem is that these weapons don't just go away when the fighting stops. They sit in the dirt for years, becoming unstable. Rust, heat, and friction from a simple hand saw are more than enough to trigger a massive detonation.
The Funding Cut Triggering More Deaths
The real tragedy is that this crisis is getting worse because the international community is walking away. Over the last two years, funding cuts by international donors have forced a massive 64% reduction in the number of demining teams deployed across Afghanistan.
When global humanitarian aid gets slashed, Afghanistan gets hit hardest. By the time aid budgets trickle down, the money runs out.
Without active clearance teams, the burden of finding these weapons falls on untrained civilians. The provincial police issued a public statement begging people not to touch any munitions they find and to call security forces instead. But in remote areas like Paktika, help is often hours away, and the temptation to profit from the metal wins out.
What Needs to Happen Now
If you want to stop these preventable deaths, telling poor people to just avoid metal isn't going to work. The international community needs to resume funding for mine clearance operations immediately.
Local communities also need targeted education programs that specifically warn kids and scrap collectors about the appearance of modern artillery shells. Until the economic desperation is addressed and demining teams return to full capacity, the soil of eastern Afghanistan will keep claiming innocent lives.
If you are working with or supporting humanitarian aid networks, pressure donors to restore funding to UNAMA and the Mine Action Section. Demining isn't political; it's basic human survival.
