The bomb was discovered in Tan Thanh village, Yen Thai commune, Van Yen district. The provincial Military High Command’s sappers said the US-made bomb was dropped during the US bombing of northern Vietnam from 1968-1970s.
Measuring 0.42 metres in diameter, and 1.26 metres in length, the bomb was found only 30 metres from Trang Bridge on the Hanoi-Lao Cai railway and 400 metres from a residential area.
It was then moved to safety and defused.
Over the years, although Vietnamese authorities have made concerted efforts to handle post-war consequences, unexploded ordnance UXO) left from the war still threatens the lives of citizens.
According to the National Steering Committee for Recovery of Postwar Bomb and Landmine Impacts, about 800,000 tonnes of UXOs are still scattered across 6.6 million hectares – or 20.12 percent of the country’s surface area, mainly in the central region – putting people in danger every day.
Vietnam has already cleared hundreds of thousands of hectares of UXOs so far.
VNA/VNP
