The man that was with him during the incident, later said that the victim told him he picked up the object about a month ago (it is not sure what kind of explosive it was, as it entirely disintegrated during the explosion).

The two men were walking with it in Extension 6, Mhluzi, on their way to sell the metal object to scrap metal dealers when it exploded in the one man’s hands, resulting in traumatic abdominal injuries.

He was immediately placed on life support by paramedics who rushed the victim to hospital, where he passed away due to internal injuries.
His friend was not injured.

The deceased has not been formally identified and cannot be named.

Police could not identify the object, as basically no trace of it was left following the explosion.

• The death comes on the back of a similar incident last month, in which another Mhluzi man was killed, and a second seriously injured, when they attempted to strip a mortar round from copper parts.

The incident happened on August 25, at what police described as an abandoned military site.

• There are two shooting ranges on the N11, the largest of which was in use by 4SAI.

Also read: Man killed, another injured after mortar round explodes