A seven-year old girl killed by a landmine in western Colombia was put to rest on Thursday (21 May) by a grieving community that says the occurrence is one they are all too familiar with.

The incident took place in Colombia's Cauca department at the site of a rural school which some 70 children attend. The girl died after stepping on the mine. Three other minors were injured.

Members of Colombia's armed forces were on hand to try and bring calm to the grief-stricken community.

"Ladies and gentleman, another landmine was found near the site of the explosion, 15m away. So it's already been detected, and the proper disarming of this explosive will be completed. So everyone in the community is to be made aware," one soldier said.

Just over 11,000 Colombians, including 1,110 children and 4,200 civilians, have been killed or wounded by landmines and other explosive devices since 1990, government figures show.

The country could however be free of landmines by 2025 after the government and Farc rebels reached a historic agreement on landmine clearance earlier this year during ongoing peace talks in Cuba.

Colombia, at war for 50 years, is one of the most mined countries in the world. Latin America's longest war has killed 220,000 people and displaced millions over 50 years.

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