GRAMSH, July 2 – A teenager was killed and two others injured while they were collecting metal scrap in a pile of shells which the army had previously deactivated.
Hysen Brahim, 18, was killed from the explosion of a shell when he was collecting scrap in Shen Meri village, Gramsh district, to support his family.
His father, Mylazim Brahimi, 45, and his neighbor Ledio Nasufi, 17, were injured during the explosion.
Collecting shell metal for scrap had turned into a large source of revenue for residents of Shen Meri village.
The army had left the area where they were disarming shells following complaints from the villagers disturbed by the explosions.
The area had previously served as a shooting range for the army. A pile of shells were deactivated and left there from the army along with its efforts to reform in compliance with NATO membership rules.
Hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition were lost throughout Albania following the opening of the army depots during the riots in 1997 when people lost their life savings in the failed pyramid investment schemes.
