Old U.S. Bomb From the Vietnam War Explodes, Kills 6 People

August 31, 2017

An American war-era bomb recently detonated in a mountainous area in Vietnam, killing six people, including three children.

According to state-run media VGPNews, the explosion occurred in the country’s south central coast last August 18.

Based on the initial investigations of local authorities, the dormant weapon was discovered by local villagers in their farmland in the province of Khanh Hoa. The area used to be a hub of military activity for the Republic of Vietnam army (ARVN), the Republic of Vietnam Navy, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, and for the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (USAF) during the Vietnam War.

“The initial reason for the blast, which killed six, was that people were cutting open the 105mm shell”, VGPNews indicated in its report.

Aside from the casualties, the incident also reportedly left two individuals wounded. A house in Ta Luong village was also torn down, reports the AFP.

Explosions have mostly been triggered by farmers who accidentally hit the bombs while tilling the soil or by individuals who try to salvage parts from the bombs. Components such as metal can be sold for scrap, while the explosives are sometimes used by fishermen.

Based on the statistics of the Vietnamese government, there are still about half of the 15 million tonnes of bombs dropped by American forces during the war that have remained hidden in farmlands and jungles across the central provinces of the country.

Over 42,000 were recorded to have died and over 62,100 injured since Vietnam War ended in 1975 due to the unexploded ordnance the US aircrafts dropped while the war was ongoing.

Feature image via YouTube / World Focus Online

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