Four killed after ‘microphone’ bomb explodes

PHNOM PENH - Four people died and three were injured when a rocket-propelled grenade that a farmer pretended to be using as a microphone exploded, local media reported Tuesday.

The Phnom Penh Post newspaper said the incident took place Sunday during a gathering of farmers in the western province of Pursat.

“One of the victims, 30-year-old Chea Thy, was joking by holding a B-40 explosive like a microphone,” said district police chief Pich Sopheap, adding that the man was known for his habit of toying with leftover munitions.

“It was no problem previously because he threw them in the dirt, but this time it exploded when it hit the wooden floor,” he said.

Decades of war mean mines and munitions remain a serious risk in some parts of Cambodia, which is one of the most heavily-mined nations in the world.

Government figures show that explosives killed 36 people and injured 148 in the seven months to July, up slightly on the toll for 2009.