US under secretary of state detonates wartime bombs in Vietnam

By Hoang Tao, Vu Anh   September 10, 2022 | 03:00 am PT
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins pressed the button to destroy warheads from the Vietnam War in Quang Tri Province on Friday.
US under secretary of state detonates wartime bombs in Vietnam

Jenkins (L) listens as a bomb expert explains the denotation process in Trieu Son Commune, Trieu Phong District of Quang Tri, a former battlefield.

She took part in several activities to monitor and detonate unexploded ordnances left from the Vietnam War (1955-1975) in the central province as part of her visit to Vietnam from Sept. 8-10.

US under secretary of state detonates wartime bombs in Vietnam

A member of the mine-clearance team from Mines Advisory Group, a British NGO, arranges bags of sand to serve the detonation.

US under secretary of state detonates wartime bombs in Vietnam

The explosives, comprising a 82 millimeter mortar shell, 37 millimeter cannon warhead and two 40 millimeter grenades, are packed around and under sandbags to ensure safety.

US under secretary of state detonates wartime bombs in Vietnam

Jenkins presses the button to destroy the explosives.

US under secretary of state detonates wartime bombs in Vietnam

The unexploded bombs left from the war were all safely destroyed.

Quang Tri was the stage of some of the most major battles during the Vietnam War, including the Tet Offensive in 1968 and Easter Offensive in 1972.

In Quang Tri's namesake capital, enough bombs were dropped in the summer of 1972 to equate seven nuclear bombs.

US under secretary of state detonates wartime bombs in Vietnam

Members from Project RENEW, a Vietnamese organization that deals with unexploded ordnance left from the Vietnam War with support from Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), monitor land that might be contaminated with unexploded ordnances.

Vietnam and the U.S. signed the first memorandum of understanding on overcoming the consequences of UXO after the war in Hanoi in December 2013.

Jenkins said the U.S. has so far provided a total $200 million for mine clearance activities in Vietnam.

According to data from MAG Vietnam, the group has scanned more than 197 million square meters of land and processed more than 368,000 explosives left over from the war since it entered operation in 1999.

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins pressed the button to destroy warheads from the Vietnam War in Quang Tri Province.

 
 
go to top