In north-central Vietnamese province, 50% of wartime bombs cleared
Authorities in a province in north-central Vietnam have exerted much effort to clear landmines and other war remnants in recent times, leading to half of the wartime bombs there being defused.
Officials in Ha Tinh Province said that they had neutralized 50% of bombs of many kinds left from the American war in Vietnam, mostly in Can Loc and Huong Son District, as part of a bomb deactivating campaign launched in early 2015, the Vietnam News Agency reported on April 3.
Provincial sappers have demined 11 bombs weighing 250-750 pounds each, 100 submunitions, and other explosives, officials said, adding that Ky Anh District will be the next place for bomb removal.
Nguyen Ba Phuc, a military division chief, said that critical areas like industrial parks, manufacturing zones, and farmlands had been given priority in the demining work.
Ha Tinh was one of the regions in Vietnam heavily bombed by the USmilitary during wartime.
Between 1964 and 1975, the US army struck the Ho Chi Minh Trail, whose parts stretched along the Truong Son Range, with over 2.2 million metric tons of bombs, the Vietnam News Agency said.
At present, residents of many towns and villages in Ha Tinh are still threatened by landmines, ranging from Ha Linh Commune in Huong Khe District to Cam Nhuong Commune in Cam Xuyen District.
People in Son Diem Commune, Huong Son District, once found a bomb when working in their farmlands, the news agency reported, adding that the explosive was eventually removed.
With the current capacity of the government, it may take about 320 years to clear all landmines in the country, according to an official.
