A 454kg bomb dropped by United States' bombers during the war was unearthed by Vietnamese sappers in a residential area in the southern province of Binh Duong's Thuan An Township on Aug 14. The bomb, 35cm wide and 1.8m long, was part of the Mark 80 series of low-drag general-purpose bombs in United States service. It has a streamlined steel casing containing 202kg of tritonal high explosive. Its safe recovery is a reminder that although the war finished more than 40 years ago, bombs, mines and explosives are still being found in cities and provinces throughout the nation. More than 100,000 Vietnamese people have been killed or wounded by bombs, mines and explosives since the war ended. The Vietnamese Government has poured dozens of millions of dollars into bomb and mine clearance. It is estimated that Vietnam would need about $10 billion and more than 100 years to find and destroy all unexplored ordnance. (Vietnam News Aug 16)
