Wartime Bomb Found in Vietnam National Park

An unexploded bomb found in the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in the north-central province of Quang Binh. An unexploded bomb some 2.5 meters long was found Tuesday in a national park in the north-central province of Quang Binh, online newspaper Dan Tri reported. The war-era bomb, 60 centimeters across, was found more than six meters below the ground during construction work in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang Park. Following the discovery, park authorities stopped the work for a memorial statute of Vietnamese soldiers and informed the Quang Binh military headquarters. The site had been heavily bombed by the US during the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975. Around 6.6 million hectares, or more than a fifth of Vietnam’s land area, contains unexploded ordnance (UXO), according to official figures, with a mere 300,000 ha cleared so far. Experts estimate it will take Vietnam hundreds of years and billions of dollars to completely rid itself of leftover bombs, shells, and landmines. Since 1975 UXOs have killed more than 40,000 people and injured 60,000.  (/thanhniennews.com Jun 22)