One was killed and two injured when a hand grenade accidentally exploded in the Kuwaiti Information Office in Beirut on Monday, Kuwaiti Ambassador Ali Suleiman Saeed said.

Ayyas al-Alayli, a Lebanese employee, died in hospital, and Hussam al-Jamal and Mirna Mugharbel, both Lebanese, were wounded.

"Regrettably, it happened when one of the employees, with the knowledge of his colleagues, was playing with some old explosive materials left over from the 1975-1990 civil war. It exploded, hitting him and two of his colleagues,'' Saeed said .He said the hand grenade had been in the office for more than two years.

Earlier reports said that the explosion was caused by a parcel bomb, and the blast occurred when al-Jamal tried to open the parcel.

The Monday blast came amid fears of bomb attacks in the Lebanese capital, which has witnessed a string of explosions since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14.

Last Friday, a large explosion shook the eastern outskirts of Beirut, killing at least one and wounding more than 20.

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2005)