The first few days of the New Year passed by with no news (to the work of CPI this means good news). We were thinking that may be people get lazy of going out of their homes in this weather, but we were wrong.
Just as I entered the office this morning Duc, our logistic officer, announced that he received a phone call last night reporting of a new accident happened earlier in the day (January 8th). One person was killed on spot and another 12 year old boy was seriously injured.
The follow up phone call to the Quang Tri general hospital confirmed the information, and that the boy is currently at the hospital�s intensive care unit.
I met the boy�s father at the hospital gate, a medium man in his mid 30s. I didn�t know him at first, but he walked to me and asked whether I come to respond to a new UXO accident. Mr. Kiet, the boy�s father looked exhausted but calm. I asked him briefly about what happened as we walk through the corridors to the intensive care unit.
Mrs. Quyen, the boy's mother worriedly looked at the monitor
The accident happened about 4 p.m. in Huc commune, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, the vicinity of famous battle of Khe Sanh in 1968. On his way home, Nguyen Viet Lam recognized Vo Hao, a 15 year old boy from his village were searching for scrap metal in exchange for some pocket money. With curiosity, Lam walked up to see what had been found. And when he was approaching, the digger dug on top of something and a loud explosion occurred. Nobody knew what type the item was but it must be a large size ordnance because everyone at the village 1 kilometer away heard the explosion.
The blast killed Hao, the digger, immediately. The short distance from the digger have saved Lam, the curious boy. However his limbs, intestine and face were all severely injured.
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