The Iraqi Ministry of Environment, cited by Iraqi News Agency (INA), said it has determined a landmine was not the cause of the explosion. The ministry said the blast was due to air fallout from either a missile or a large shell.
The Director-General of Mine Affairs in the ministry, Dhafer al-Saadi, said Basra was "exposed to the danger of war remnants,” and added projectiles were "no less dangerous” than landmines, according to INA.
Saadi stated an investigation was ongoing to determine the direct cause of the blast.
He also said maps showing the locations of landmines planted by the Baathist regime were lost after the fall of the regime in 2003.
Reporter's code: 50101