SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Seventeen Afghan civilians have been wounded in an accident blast in Aqcha district of northern Jawzjan province, a provincial government spokesman said Wednesday.
"The accident explosion was caused by explosive remnants of war (ERW) at the district bazaar late on Tuesday," spokesman Faridoon Aniq told Xinhua.
Afghan officials use the term of ERW referring to unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance (AXO).
The injured were shifted to a district hospital where three of the wounded remained in critical condition.
The ERW was brought to a scrap metal shop by a man who tried to sale it, according to official.
Poor people regularly search for and sell scrap metal in big cities and villages to make money.
The district has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and Taliban militants for long.
