150-kg bomb deactivated in southern province

Sappers handle the bomb weighing over 150 kg found in Truong Long Hoa commune, Duyen Hai town. (Photo: VNA)

Tra Vinh (VNA) – Sappers from the Military High Command of the southern province of Tra Vinh on March 6 successfully removed and deactivated a bomb weighing over 150 kg left from wartime.

The bomb was found in Truong Long Hoa commune, Duyen Hai town when villagers in Nha Mat hamlet were digging the foundation for construction. They quickly reported to authorities about the bomb.

The MK-81 bomb was buried deep in the ground for a long time, but it still had its fuse intact.

Decades after the end of the war, Vietnam still suffers from the deadly threat of bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left by war.

According to the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre, all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities in Vietnam are contaminated with UXO, with 5.6 million hectares of land in total (17.71% of the country’s acreage) affected. It is estimated that between 600,000 – 800,000 tonnes of UXO are still hidden underground, and 110,000 people have so far become victims of UXO./.