Muscat: A 12-year-old-boy died after accidentally shot himself while cleaning a decorative gun in Nakhal province on Thursday.
The boy did not know that the gun was loaded, one of his relatives told Gulf News. The boy was trying to clean the gun that was left hanging on the wall of the sitting room, the relative said. The victim accidentally pulled the trigger and the bullet penetrated his chest. The boy died on the way to Rustaq hospital due to severe internal bleeding.
According to an official at the Royal Oman Police (ROP), two were murdered with such guns so far this year.
Police recently launched a campaign to register all unlicensed weapons and conventional guns. As per the penal law, anyone who is found possessing a gun without a license, will be slapped with a fine of 100 rials. Omanis use these guns for hunting as well as decorative purposes in their homes.
— Saif Said is a journalist based in Muscat
