Cluster bombs and other ordnance left over from the Vietnam War continue to kill and maim civilians in Vietnam 30 years after the war ended here.Below is a brief on just some of the accidents that occured in Central Vietnam for the month of July 2005:
July 6th a man in Quang Binh Province disturbed a piece of unknown ordnance while farming and sustained major injuries to his chest and legs, broke both his collarbones, suffered severe burns on his face and lost three fingers on his left hand.
On July 8 in Quang Tri Province, 14 year old Duong Ba Tien was found dead on his parent's farm after he apparently disturbed an unexploded bomb while harvesting crops.
On July 9th, 28 year old Phan Van Huong lost sight in one eye and partially in the other after a sub-surface piece of ordnance detonated while he was weeding in his garden.
On July 12th A 22-year old man sustained serious unjuries to his chest, face and arms when a cluster bomb detonated while he was clearing bushes.
On July 15th an 8 year old boy received minor inuries to his eyes when a piece of ordnance exploded in brush burning outside his home
On July 19th in Ha Tinh province a 14 year old boy lost his left hand and injured his left leg after finding a piece of ordnace near his home.
Also On July 19th in Quang Binh Province, Le Cuong, a 37 year old man was killed while farming after he accidentally detonated an unknown piece of ordnance now thought to be a cluster bomb.
On July 22nd 41 year old Nguyen Cuu Lam was killed while scavenging metal in Quang Tri Province.
On July 29th 17 year old Pham Van Kien sustained major abdominal injuries when he and his friends discovered a piece of ordnance near their home.
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.
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