Internet Blamed For 12 Grenade Injuries

Twelve children were injured this week by hand grenades they built from instructions on the Internet, a Dutch consumers group said Friday.

The children, ages 8 to 13, converted firecrackers into grenades using detailed instructions found on the World Wide Web, said Cees Meijer, spokesman for the Consumer Safety Institute.

One girl lost an eye and another suffered permanent hearing damage, Meijer said. Most of the other children suffered burns.

Meijer said interviews with victims and their parents showed that the instructions were simple to follow. Rob Gonggrijp of the Amsterdam-based Internet service Xs4all said the instructions were not easy to find on the Internet, but they are available on several sites.