Three Children Killed in Blast at Colombian Military Site

Three children have been killed in a blast at an unused military site in eastern Colombia, the army said.

The deadly incident linked to an as yet unidentified explosive happened Wednesday as the children crossed the area adjacent to an army building.

Authorities were alerted to what happened when an injured child was taken to a local hospital by another child. The wounded child was subsequently airlifted by the military to the capital Bogota for treatment.

A battalion commander rushed help to the scene where "three deceased minors" were found, the army said in a statement.

"We don't know what type of explosive caused this, an investigation will determine that," General Ricardo Gomez told AFP.

According to authorities, the site had not been in use for at least a month.

Colombia's government and leftist FARC rebels have been locked in a half-century of civil war.