8 kids hurt in grenade blast

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Eight children, three of them girls, aged eight to 12 were hospitalized after a rifle grenade they found in Baybay, Leyte exploded on Tuesday.

In a belated report, police said the children were taken to the Immaculada Concepcion Hospital.

Probers said one of the children found the ammunition for an M203 grenade launcher rifle in an abandoned videoke house.

Personnel of the Leyte police and explosives and ordinance disposal unit are investigating how the rifle grenade ended up in the area.

Eastern Visayas police director Brig. Gen. Rommel Cabagnot urged parents and guardians to monitor their children while playing to prevent a similar incident.