Pokemon Go: Bosnia players warned of minefields

Bosnians playing the hit mobile game Pokemon Go are being warned to avoid straying into areas still sown with landmines from the war in the 1990s.

A Bosnian demining charity, Posavina bez mina, issued its warning after hearing reports of Pokemon Go users venturing into risky areas.

Players use their smartphones to hunt for cartoon monsters in the real world.

At least 600 people have been killed in landmine accidents in Bosnia since the end of the war in 1995.

About 120,000 mines remain undiscovered, a Bosnian demining group estimates.

As the popularity of Pokemon Go has soared, there have been numerous incidents and accidents involving gamers.

"We received information that some users of the Pokemon Go app in Bosnia were going to places which are a risk for mines, in search of a pokemon," Posavina bez mina said on Facebook.

"Citizens are urged not to do so, to respect demarcation signs of dangerous mine fields and not to go into unknown areas," it added.

Earlier this week, two teenagers in the US state of Florida were shot at by a householder who mistook them for burglars.

The game, however, has had some unexpected positive effects: in one UK town police said players reported a theft while hunting for monsters.

(BBC)