350kg wartime bomb discovered in Quang Binh

QUANG BINH: A 350kg bomb left over from the US war in Vietnam was discovered in Hoa Thanh Commune, Minh Hoa District, the central province of Quang Binh, reported local authorities on Thursday (Oct 3).

On Sept 29, a local resident found the bomb while farming near Khe Thui bridge in Thanh Long village and reported to the authorities. In response, local officials cordoned off the site, placed warning signs, and assigned guards to prevent public access.

The bomb, coded M117, measures 1.1m in length and weighs 350kg. Experts from the Mine Action Group (MAG) and local authorities safely removed the bomb, pending detonation in line with regulation.

According to the Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal under the Engineering Command, up to 7,645 of the 8,686 communes in Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities are polluted with unexploded ordnance (UXOs).

Statistics from the National Steering Committee for Recovery over Postwar Bomb and Landmine Impacts showed that some 800,000 tonnes of UXOs are scattered across 6.6 million hectares, or 20.12 per cent of the country’s land, mainly in the central region, putting people in danger everyday. — Vietnam News/ANN