Quang Binh safely removes wartime bomb
Relevant forces in the central province of Quang Binh have safely removed an unexploded bomb left from the war from a densely populated area in Ly Trach commune, Bo Trach district.
According to the commune's People's Committee, local residents discovered the bomb while working in their garden on July 30. The MK82 bomb, weighing more than 200kg, was found 1.2m under the ground.
The provincial Military Command coordinated with the MAG Mine Clearance Team and related units to move the bomb to a safe area for detonation.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam is one of countries most contaminated with unexploded ordnances (UXOs).
It is estimated that about 800,000 tonnes of UXOs were left across the country after the war ended in 1975, mostly in the central region. Some 6.13 million hectares of land are polluted with or suspected of being polluted with UXOs, accounting for 18.82% of the country’s total area.
Since 1975, UXO incidents have killed more than 40,000 people and injured 60,000 others, most of whom were breadwinners of their families or children.
