LYNCH, Ky.-- Nearly a dozen people, most of them children, were hospitalized after a tear gas grenade exploded in southeastern Kentucky as the children played with it.

The incident occurred Monday evening in Lynch. According to WYMT-TV, police say several children were playing with a Vietnam-era military gas grenade in a home when it went off.

Ten people -- eight of them children -- were taken to Appalachian Regional Hospital in Lynch.

One other child was taken by helicopter to Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn. That child was later reported in stable condition.

Kentucky State Police Sgt. Jeremy Lee says the gas irritates victims' throats, eyes and skin and causes difficulty breathing.

No charges were immediately filed, but an investigation continues.