Two US cluster bombs removed in Quang Tri
Two Exploded Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams from Peace Trees Vietnam have removed two cluster bombs in the central province of Quang Tri province, the teams' head Nguyen Van Cuong told Vietnam News on March 12.
The American bombs, discovered in Khe Sanh town, Huong Hoa district, each weighed 227kg and 114kg, respectively.
"The bombs' detonators have yet to be defused because they were buried nearly 3 metre underground,” Cuong said.
"These bombs are two of the heaviest we found. We have removed nine heavy bombs since last July." He said the bombs could blow up and destroy everything within 30 metres.
Cuong said the two teams, totalling 24 members, dug up and removed hundreds of unexploded ordnance (UXO) - bombs, grenade launchers, landmines and mortar shells - each day.
The teams have been working throughout the province to remove UXO, especially in remote mountainous areas such as Huong Hoa, Cam Lo, GioLinh and VinhLinh and Dakrong –former sites of battles and the Demilitarised Zone during the war.
Vietnam was subjected to 15 million bombs, mines, artillery shells and other munitions. As much as 10 percent of these ordinances are estimated to have failed to explode.