‘War relic’ explodes under campfire in Austria sending five children to hospital

Five children were injured in northern Austria on Saturday evening after a "war relic" exploded beneath their campfire, police confirmed on Sunday.

The youngsters, aged between 10 and 14, were part of a group visiting from elsewhere in Upper Austria.

The incident occurred in St Oswald bei Freistadt, a village often used by youth groups for camping, a state police spokesperson said.

After the explosion, police inspected an adjacent fire pit, finding another object containing explosives, also described as a "war relic".

A bomb disposal unit was called to deal with it, police said in a statement.

"Investigations are currently underway to determine how war relics came to be under the campfire area," the statement added.

The severity of the children's injuries was not immediately clear, police said, confirming they were taken to a children's hospital in the nearby city of Linz.

While World War Two-era bombs are still uncovered in Austria, particularly in the course of excavations for building work, accidents such as Saturday's are rare.

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