240kg wartime bomb moved from local school. Photo: VNA

A day earlier, the bomb was found while workers were digging the foundation for a new office at the school.

After receiving a report on the case, the sapper force under the Quang Tri military high command promptly arrived at the scene to carry out their work.

Lieutenant colonel Ho Viet Hung, head of the force, said the bomb was among those dropped in Vietnam by the US army during the war.

According to him, with 1.8 m in length and 30 cm in diameter, it contains 80kg of explosive material, which can cause injury within a radius of over 1,500 m.

The bomb’s location was also close to the market and residential areas, posing a high risk of danger if not tackling promptly, he added.

Quang Tri is the most severely contaminated locality for bombs and mines across Vietnam. It has recorded over 3,400 deaths and 5,100 injured people caused by UXO.

In 1996, Quang Tri became the first province nationwide to launch an international cooperation project on overcoming the consequences of UXO.

Over the past 23 years, Quang Tri has mobilised over 80 million USD from sponsors, domestic, and foreign organisations to the effort.

Earlier, a napalm bomb weighing about 75 kg was collected by sappers of the Military High Command of the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau on April 5.

Nguyen Van Hoang detected the bomb when a bulldozer he rented was working to prepare land in his garden in Tran Hoi commune, Tran Van Thoi district. He immediately reported what he found to local authorities.

About two weeks ago, the local force also collected another napalm bomb weighing about 350 kg in the same commune.

Over the recent past, Ca Mau locals have detected many explosives left by the war, especially in the district. A serious case was recorded when a shell exploded in late last year in the district, killing five./.

VNF/VNA