Hanoi Removes 340kg Unexploded Bomb in Ba Dinh, Evacuees Return Home

The 340-kilogram explosive device was discovered by workers digging a foundation at a construction site.

Tuoi Tre reports that a meter-long bomb dropped during the American War was found at 15 Cua Bac Street in Truc Bach Ward. The dangerous discovery occurred during the excavation of the foundation of the Power Transmission Company No. 1 office. The site used to be home to the Yen Phu Power Plant, which was heavily bombed during the war.

The city government passed responsibility for handling the unexploded ordinance (UXO) on to the Ministry of National Defense, while local authorities blocked off a 500-meter radius area to ensure safety.

Zing further reports that yesterday, November 29, all residents living within 200 meters of the bomb's location were ordered to evacuate the area. People nearby were also asked not to use their phones or other electronic devices in order to avoid potentially setting off the bomb's detonator.

Late that night, the bomb was removed from the construction site by specialized teams and loaded onto a truck. Shortly afterwards, residents were allowed to return to their homes, and construction will resume at 15 Cua Bac today.

At the start of this year, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs shared that roughly 800,000 tons of UXO remain buried across almost 19% of Vietnam's land area. While these figures are concentrated in the central region, Hanoi was heavily bombed during the conflict as well.

Last month, flooding and erosion caused by historic rainfall uncovered a 450-kilogram bomb in Ha Tinh Province. The item was removed by military units for disposal.

About 40,000 people have been killed by UXO in Vietnam since 1975.

[Photo via VietnamNet]