Local sources in Jur River County of Western Bahr el Ghazal State say that four people were killed and 45 others wounded after an ex-combatant detonated a hand grenade in the black market to get back a loan.

Isaac Maluach Lueth told Eye Radio the incident occurred around 5:00 PM yesterday [Sunday, August 27] at the black market of Tharkueng in Jur River County.

According to him, the explosion took place while a wounded soldier argued with another man who owed him some money.

Maluach said two people were killed on the spot but the two died later at the Wau Teaching Hospital.

One of those killed is a woman.

“What happened yesterday [Sunday, August 27] in the evening, an incident at the black market. Someone called Albion Akut who was demanding money from someone had a grenade but suddenly it exploded,” said Maluach.

“Two people died, a woman called Adeng, and a policeman called Arop Manut died on the spot. The person carrying the grenade was also injured, but ran away,” he said.

“Those who survived with some injuries were 45 people. We transferred those people to Wau Teaching Hospital, and this morning [August 28] another two people died and now we have four people died.”

Eye Radio’s efforts to get comment from the police commissioner in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, were not successful.

Western Bahr el Ghazal State has witnessed several explosions of grenades in the last three years.

In January 2020, at least 22 people were killed in a grenade explosion in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

In December 2020, two girls were killed in a suspected grenade explosion in the Kwajina area of Jur River County

In November last year, a soldier detonated a hand grenade in public, killing himself and injuring two others in Western Bahr el Ghazal’s Jur River County.