Giant Vietnam War Bomb Unearthed in Central Vietnam

Authorities in the central province of Ha Tinh successfully defused a Vietnam War-era bomb unearthed from a paddy field on Monday, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported. A team from the Vietnam Bomb and Mine Action Center detected the bomb, which is 908 kilograms (2,000 pounds) in weight, around three meters under the paddy field in Dong Loc Commune, Can Loc District. Dong Loc Commune was extensively bombed by American forces during the Vietnam War, mostly because of its strategic location on the Ho Chi Minh trail. The bomb has been identified as a Mark 84, an American general-purpose bomb. The Mark 84 was commonly used by the U.S. in the war due to the amount of high-explosive content packed inside. As soon as it was detected, authorities evacuated residents near the area to another place and started digging to remove the bomb. Heavy rain made the job more difficult. On Monday afternoon, authorities managed to remove the bomb and transported it to another place for defusion. (Thanh Nien – Young People Nov 3)