From Thursday until next Friday, the eight-kilometer section in Le Thuy District will be closed for all traffic while experts await the right time to dispose of the bomb. The bomb uses a magnetic influence fuze, which enables it to function as a mine. The bomb will thus be detonated on the spot instead of moved elsewhere.

A bomb weighing 300 kg is unearthed after flooding on Highway 9B in Quang Binh Province, November 4, 2020.

On November 4, while local authorities were busy dealing with road erosion caused by heavy rains and severe flooding that hit the central region for the past month, the 1.4-m bomb slid from a hill onto the highway.

According to the provincial Military Command, the bomb would be destroyed after eight days, when it is assumed safe to do so.

Bomb disposal experts warned people not to attempt to approach or move the bomb and not turn on or off any radio or radar transceivers in the vicinity.

Quang Binh, severely bombed during the Vietnam War (1954-1975), was one of many central localities hit by multiple storms and floods that left at least 235 dead or missing.

According to statistics by the Ministry of National Defense’s Technology Center for Bomb and Mine Disposal and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, nearly 225,000 ha of land across Quang Binh was contaminated by unexploded ordnances (UXO). Landmine or UXO accidents have claimed more than 2,930 lives in the province.

UK donates GBP500,000 to support flood victims in central region

The UK government has decided to donate GBP500,000 (US$650,500) for Vietnam to support flood-hit victims in the central region.

Over VND70.3 billion mobilised to support flood-hit areas

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee in Ho Chi Minh City has received money and goods worth a total of over VND70.3 billion as of November 2 to support people who were affected by the recent floods and storms in the central provinces.

Overseas Vietnamese in Thailand and Germany support flood victims in central Vietnam

The Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand held a ceremony on November 1 to raise funds and receive donations from the Vietnamese community in Thailand to help flood-hit victims in central Vietnam overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

PM asks for efforts to stabilise livelihoods of flood-hit people

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the authorities of the central province of Quang Nam to give timely support to flood-hit residents so that they can stabilise their livelihoods soon.

UN population fund earmarks $540,000 for women, girls in flood-hit central Vietnam

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam has given $540,000 in immediate support to women and girls in six central provinces affected by flooding.

Source: VnExpress