After receiving alerts from local residents, the MAG’s mobile team and competent forces deactivate the bombs and move them to the designated area for safe destruction. (Photo: VNA) QuangBinh (VNA) – The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) on December 2 said itsmobile team in the central province of Quang Binh had coordinated with theprovincial Military Command and local authorities in safely moving threewar-time bombs found in residential areas.
Oneof the three bombs, a MK81, was found in Dan Hoa commune (Minh Hoa district) onNovember 30. The bomb’s location is only 500m from Bai Dinh village’s culturalhouse and Dan Hoa primary school.
Theother two were discovered on November 27 by locals. Both are M117 bombs, with onein Minh Hoa district and the other in Bo Trach district.
Afterreceiving alerts from local residents, the MAG’s mobile team and competentforces deactivated the bombs and moved them to the designated area for safedestruction.
Sincethe beginning of this year, the MAG team has handled 285 pieces of unexploded ordnance(UXO). The team’soperation is supported by the US Department of State and the JapaneseGovernment.
Decades after the endof war, Vietnam still suffers from the deadly threat from bombs, mines and UXOleft by war.
According to theVietnam National Mine Action Centre, all 63 provinces and centrally-run citiesin Vietnam are contaminated with UXO, with 6.1 million hectares of land intotal (18.41% of the country’s acreage) affected. It is estimated that between600,000 – 800,000 tonnes of UXO are still hidden underground, and 110,000people have so far become victims of UXO./.
