The defused bomb (Source: VNA)Lam Dong (VNA) – A 320kg bomb was deactivated by sappers in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, on October 5.
The bomb, measuring 1 m in length and 40 cm in diameter, was found in Ward 6 on October 3 while building the foundation of a house in Ward 6, Da Lat city. It is believed to have a damage radius of about 700m.
The US army used more than 15 million tonnes of bombs and mines during the war in Vietnam, four times the amount used in World War II. As a result, Vietnam has been listed among the countries most contaminated with unexploded ordnances (UXOs).
According to the State Steering Committee for the national action programme on settling post-war bomb and landmine impacts, about 800,000 tonnes of UXOs are scattered across 6.6 million hectares or 20.12 percent of Vietnam’s land, mainly in the central region.
Preliminary statistics show that UXOs have claimed more than 42,000 lives and left about 62,000 injured - mostly rural people and children - in Vietnam over the last four decades.-VNA
