Palestinian police officer collects shell cases at the site where two Palestinians were killed in an explosion in the Askar refugee camp

Palestinian officials say two Palestinians have been killed in an accidental explosion in a West Bank refugee camp.

The officials say the accident happened early Monday in the Askar refugee camp in the city of Nablus.

They say an old Israeli army shell exploded when a man and his son collecting scrap metal tried to cut through it with a blowtorch, killing the two Palestinians.