An attempt last Saturday by a Uganda man to recycle an unexploded artillery shell ended rather badly when he ill-advisedly decided to melt it down for scrap, Reuters reports.

Francis Agwoka, acting police chief for the "once war-ravaged eastern Teso region", pretty well summed it up when he told the news agency: "We understand this man picked up a shell and tried to melt it for scrap. He put it in the fire and it exploded."

Agwoka added: "Two people were killed and seven others rushed to hospital critically injured. We are sealing off the area to look for more bombs."

The Teso region is awash with "mines and abandoned ammunition", Reuters notes, following a 2003 attack on the area by the Lord's Resistance Army rebels as part of a 20-year insurgency which has" killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly two million". Accordingly, and following the recycling mishap, police have warned locals "not to touch unfamiliar metal objects". ®

Bootnote

Thanks to David Hough for the explosive tip-off. As he says: "Don't try this at home."