VIENTIANE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance team MAG of Laos has discovered 160 cluster sub-munitions in southern Laos' Khammuan province, with the bombs safely removed and destroyed in a controlled demolition site.
According to the MAG clearance team, which is funded by the British government, the cluster sub-munitions were unearthed in a rice field in Phone village in Khammuan province, some 250 km southeast of Lao capital Vientiane, and the team is continuing to search for UXO.
The MAG team also found two large unexploded bombs in Langkhang village, Bualapha district of Khammuan province in January 6. The large air-dropped bombs weighing 500 lbs were found 30 meters away from each other and about three kilometers from a residential area, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Friday.
The bombs were defused before being carefully excavated and moved to a demolition site to be safely destroyed.
The clearance team also found another large air-dropped bomb in Thang village, Phaxai district, Xieng Khuang province (some 180 km northeast of capital Vientiane), only 150 meters from the main village, said the report.
One of MAG's United States government funded Roving teams was called in to help and the bomb was moved and destroyed in a controlled demolition site.
UXO is an obstacle to economic and social development, contaminating land that could otherwise be used for the development of agriculture, industry, tourism and the construction of infrastructure.
Laos is one of the most heavily bombed countries in the world. It is estimated that at least 2,000 square kilometers of land still need to be cleared as UXO continues to contaminate vast areas of the country, lying in forests, farmland, villages, school grounds, roads and other populated areas.
