Wartime bomb unearthed in northern Vietnam
An unexploded 500lb (227kg) Vietnam War bomb was discovered by workmen in a densely populated area in the northern city of Hai Phong on March 4.
The workers were installing water pipeline for a bridge project when they found the US-made bomb buried around one meter underground, online website VnExpress reported.
Sappers later successfully defused the bomb and moved it to a safe location on March 5. The site where the bomb was found is only three meters away from a crowded residential area. According to sappers, the bomb contained about 100 kg of explosive.
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) has killed 42,000 people and wounded 62,000 in Vietnam since the Vietnam War ended in 1975, according to official data. Three in every 10 casualties were children.
The US will spend US$10 million on programs to survey and clear UXO in Vietnam this year, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller said during a field trip in the central province of Quang Tri on March 2.