Boy, 12, Killed by Cluster Bomb in Vietnam

Quang Binh Province, Vietnam- A boy has lost his life after discovering a piece of unexploded ordnance in Central Vietnam.

Nguyen Si Phu, 12, had found a cluster bomb while playing near his aunt's home on May 29, 2005. He picked it up and played for it for a time not knowing what it was before it detonated and killed him instantly. A cousin playing nearby was also injured.

The photo at left is of Phu's brothers.

Although the Vietnam War ended 30 years ago, by some estimates over 350,000 tons of bombs that did not detonate when dropped remain in the ground. This ordnance regularly claims lives and limbs in this still war-ravaged province. Since the conflict ended in 1975, nearly 40,000 Vietnamese have been killed by by these munitions.
Clear Path International serves landmine and bomb accident survivors, their families and their communities in former war zones in Southeast Asia. This assistance takes the form of both direct and indirect medical and social services to survivor families as well as equipment support to hospitals. Current Clear Path projects are in Vietnam, Cambodia and on the Thai-Burma border.
More information about Clear Path International can be found on the web at www.cpi.org