Vietnamese authorities removed about 1,000 Vietnam War-era warheads from an abandoned house in the centre of the country on Wednesday, the state media reported.

According to the Vnexpress news site, the bombs were discovered and removed from the house in Quang Tri province’s Khe Sanh town.

They had likely been stored in the building by local salvagers, who sometimes collect unexploded bombs to sell for their metal and explosive material, which is used by farmers to clear land.

Khe Sanh town is adjacent to an old U.S. airbase that saw one of the war’s bloodiest battles during a six month siege in 1968.

According to the United Nations, 104,000 Vietnamese people have been killed by bombs, landmines and artillery shells since the end of the war in 1975.

According to the Vietnamese government, unexploded bombs currently kill about 1,500 people every year. (dpa/NAN)

– Nov. 28, 2018 @ 16:49 GMT |