Sappers have safely defused a nearly 500kg bomb which was dropped by the US troops during the war in the northern province of Phu Tho. The 1.3m long bomb was discovered by locals in early November in Di Nau commune, Tam Nong district. It contains 275kg of TNT. The provincial Military Command said it will continue to coordinate with local military units to detect and disable bombs, mines and other unexploded ordnances left from war in the province. Annually, about 1,530 die and 2,270 are injured due to bomb and mine accidents in Vietnam. According to the National Steering Committee for Recovery over Postwar Bomb and Landmine Impacts, about 800,000 tons of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) are scattering across 6.6 million hectares, or 20.12% of the country’s land, mainly in the central region. (Vietnam News Dec 11, Dai Doan Ket – Great Unity Dec 11 p2)
