The Military Command and local authorities in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh have successfully defused a big bomb in Tan Bien district.

The defused bomb

The bomb, weighing 220kg, is 1.5m long and 27cm in diameter. It was uncovered at a depth of 1m by an excavator driver for Hoa Nhai Co. Ltd. who was digging a wastewater tank in Thanh Bac commune.

The company informed local authorities and the Military Command of Tay Ninh province, which moved it to another area for deactivation to ensure the safety of residents.

The bomb was identified as an MK82, a model used by the US Air Force.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Tran Van Ngoc, head of the Engineering Division of the Tay Ninh Military Command, the bomb could have damaged a 100m area if it had exploded.

The Government's data estimates that roughly 800,000 tonnes of unexploded ordnance remained scattered across the country after the war ended, mostly in the central region.-VNA