Sappers of the Dak Nong provincial Military Headquarters startedclearing unexploded ordnances (UXO) left over from the war in over 22 hain Thuan An commune, Dak Mil district on April 19.
The mine-clearance activity in the area, where on April 16, a war-eragrenade exploded, killing two school students and leaving six othersinjured, is expected to take at least one month.
The provincial sappers have so far searched and removed dozens of tonnesof UXO scattered throughout the locality to make soil safe for thelocals to live and farm.
They will continue with the work in highrisk locations, including two airports in Gia Nghia town and Nhan Cocommune, where the US and Saigon regime troops stationed prior to1975.
At a press talk early this month on the occasion of theInternational Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action(April 4), Vice Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Bui HongLinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and Government alwaysattach importance to overcoming UXO consequences.
According to statistics, during 1975-2000, UXO took the lives of42,000 people and injured 62,000 others nationwide. Most victims werebreadwinners and children.
About 600,000 tonnes of UXO still linger over an area of 66,000 square metres or 20 percent of the country’s total land.-VNA