For Vietnam, the war is not over: 42,000 killed by US bombs in peacetime
Hanoi — Six Vietnamese villagers, including three children, were killed on Friday when a US war-era bomb exploded in a mountainous area along the country’s south central coast, state media reported. Early reports said authorities believed the ordnance detonated after villagers discovered it in their farmland in Khanh Hoa province. "The initial reason for the blast, which killed six, was that people were cutting open the 105mm shell," reported VGPNews, the government’s online news agency. Local police refused to comment on the accident, which also left two villagers wounded and tore down a house in Ta Luong village, according to state media. Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, more than 42,000 people have been killed and over 62,100 injured by unexploded ordnance dropped by US aircraft, according government figures. Most of the blasts are triggered by people striking the bombs while farming or trying to salvage the metal casings and explosives from the munitions. The metal is u...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.