HANGU: At least six children of a family have been killed Sunday evening and one other injured after an explosion at a house in Babar Mela area of Hangu district, officials said.

District Police officer iftikhar Ahmed told Dawn.com that the children were killed after a toy bomb which the children were playing with went off.

The police said the dead children belonged to the family of a local villager Fazl Gul in Babar Mela area near Orakzai Agency.

Officials said eyewitnesses had told them that the children found the toy-like bomb in a field and were playing with it when it exploded, killing five boys on the spot.

One girl later died at the hospital while another boy is being treated for injuries.

The DPO said the house of the individual Fazl Gul is being searched for a possible terror link and have started an investigation into the incident.

The police in charge of the area Taj Muhammad, while quoting the bomb disposal squad officials, said that it was a hand grenade bomb which caused the death of the six children.