Quang Tri: 144 unexploded ordnances safely handled
PeaceTrees Vietnam (PTVN)’s bomb and mine clearance team announced on August 15 that it had successfully handled a vault containing 144 unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in the central province of Quang Tri.
The UXOs, including one 57-mm-cannon shell, 38 37-mm- cannon shells and 105 detonators of all kinds, were discovered at a depth of 30-50cm in a garden in Huong Tan commune, Huong Hoa district.
Right after the discovery, the team sealed off the area and safely handled the UXOs.
Quang Tri is the most polluted locality in Vietnam in terms of UXOs, which are scattered over 81% of its land area and have killed over 3,430 people and injured 5,100 during peacetime.
In recent years, the province has cleaned up 25,000ha of UXO-contaminated land; discovered and safely handled over 765,000 bombs, landmines, and explosive materials; assisted thousands of UXO victims; and improved most of the local population’s awareness of UXO threats.
It is striving to become the first province in Vietnam to be free of wartime UXOs after 2025.
PTVN is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of the US. It is the first US NGO to be licensed by the Vietnamese government to search and defuse bombs, mines, and explosives in the country.