Bù Đốp District Military Command disposed of the bomb left over from the war in Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo

BÌNH PHƯỚC — An MK82 bomb left from the Việt Nam War was recently discovered by a resident in Thanh Hoa Commune of Bù Đốp District, the southern province of Bình Phước.

The bomb was found while a local was using an excavator to dig a pond for irrigation. The discovery was immediately reported to local authorities.

In response, the Bù Đốp Military Command and other forces secured the site by marking its location, putting up warning signs, and imposing safety measures. The Military Command of Bình Phước Province has ordered the explosive materials be safely collected and disposed.

The bomb was identified as part of the MK series, measuring 1.5 to 2m in length and deeply buried underground, requiring the provincial command’s deployment of specialised personnel for its removal.

Manufactured by the US, the general-purpose bomb weighs 500 pounds (approximately 227kg). This type of bomb was commonly used by the US military to destroy structures, cause casualties, and penetrate underground targets, according to the Bình Phước Military Command.

At the same site, authorities retrieved a 175mm artillery shell left over from the war.

Bù Đốp and Bình Phước as a whole, were among key battlegrounds during the war, particularly between 1965 and 1975. As a result, unexploded ordnance (UXO) remains scattered throughout the region, posing risks to farmers when clearing land for cultivation. — VNA/VNS