Macedonia explosion wounds 5 Roma children; type of device under investigation

SKOPJE, Macedonia – An explosion wounded five Roma children in a Macedonian town west of the capital Sunday and investigators were trying to establish what type of device caused the blast, police said.

Two 14-year-old girls sustained serious limb and chest injuries from the explosion in Tetovo and were rushed to a hospital in Skopje. Hospital officials said they were in stable condition after surgery. Three other children were slightly injured and have been discharged from Tetovo’s hospital.

Tetovo, about 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Skopje, is a town at the heart of Macedonia’s Albanian minority.

Local news sites reported late Sunday the police were investigating whether the explosion was caused by a hand grenade. Experts are also investigating whether the blast was caused by unexploded ordnance from the 2001 ethnic conflict that pitted independence-minded elements within the minority ethnic Albanians against the majority Macedonians.

Results from tests on explosive fragments were expected Monday.