The investigation police agency of Bac Ninh police department has decided to start criminal proceedings against the case of a recent explosion in the northern province that killed at least two children and injured nine people on January 3 morning in Van Mon commune, Yen Phong district.

At the explosion site

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tu Quynh said the police ordered the temporary detention of Nguyen Van Tien, born in 1964 and residing in Van Mon commune, owner of a scrap warehouse, for investigation of illegal storage and trade of military weapons.

Colonel Pham Hong Son, Director of the provincial police department, said Tien confessed that from January 2016, he purchased about seven tonnes of old warheads from an official from the bomb and mine disarmament centre of the sappers high command to dismantle as wastage.

The old warheads were kept at the garden of Nguyen Van Tao, a resident in Quan Do village, Van Mon commune. On January 3 morning, the scrap warehouse exploded, causing the collapse of four nearby houses and damaging dozens of others.

After the incident, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Thanh along with relevant agencies, police department and military high command arrived at the site to investigate the cause of the explosion.

Representatives from the People’s Committees of Bac Ninh and Yen Phong visited the victims’ families to offer condolences.-VNA