340-kg bomb deactivated in central province
VOV.VN - A 340-kilogramme bomb, a left over from the war, was safely deactivated by the military command and sappers in in the central province of Nghe An's Vinh city on April 25.
The explosive device was found by a group of workers who were using an excavator in order to dig a hole for a drainage ditch system on Dinh Bat Tuy street in Truong Thi ward.
The bomb is 41 centimetres in diameter and 110 centimetres in length, while it still had its fuse intact.
After receiving news about the detection of the explosive device, local authorities cordoned off the dangerous area and deployed troops for safeguarding. The bomb was subsequently moved to a safe place for detonation.
Decades after the end of the war, Vietnam still suffers from the deadly threat of bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left over from historic conflicts.
According to the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre, all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities across the country are contaminated with UXO, with 5.6 million hectares of land in total, covering a total area of 17.71% of the country’s acreage, affected.
It is estimated that between 600,000 to 800,000 tonnes of UXO remain hidden underground, with 110,000 people so far having been victims of UXO.
