Three children found a hand grenade in a playground on Van der Helststraat in Eindhoven. Officers cordoned off the playground on Wednesday. No one was injured.
The police explosive ordnance disposal unit had to be called in to investigate the grenade. The grenade turned out to be real and the pin was still in it.
Hide and seek
Charlot, Virin and Kingston, all eleven years old, first thought it was a stone in the playground. When they tried to roll it away, they quickly saw that it was something completely different. “We were playing hide and seek and then he found something,” says Kingston, pointing to his friend Virin.
“I recognised the shape and saw that it was a bit green,” Virin says very calmly. The three are in group eight together at BoschAkker primary school in Eindhoven. They had imagined their free Wednesday afternoon very differently. But in all the excitement, the classmates responded very sensibly.
Research
While Charlot kept a safe distance, the two boys ran after a police car that happened to be driving by. They did that successfully. The officers investigated and quickly came to the same conclusion as the children: a hand grenade.
After the report, between four and half past five in the afternoon, it took approximately two hours before police experts arrived at the playground. They packed the explosive and removed it to a safe place. Kingston’s father became anxious when his son reported by telephone that he and his friends had found a hand grenade.
Adventure
According to a police spokesperson, it is a ‘modern explosive’. “We are keeping all options open and if we receive useful tips, we will certainly follow them up.” Were the children shocked? “Well, above all, they thought it was a great adventure,” said one parent.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
