14/05/2022 Cambogia, Preveng (Prey Veng)
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance”
Experts of Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) have found about 2,000 shells and 640 unexploded ordnances (UXO) weighing about 8 tonnes on the river basin of Mekong. In the ongoing operation to clear ammunitions that were dumped in the river during the regime of Pol Pot, 650 ammunitions have been removed from the site at Koh Peamrang village in Peamrang district. The village in the Kohchek commune of Prey Veng province was the hotbed of the violence from 1970s to 1980s. On Wednesday, a delegation of inter-ministerial committee in charge of underwater unexploded ordnances and CMAC paid a visit to the operation site at Mekong River in Prey Veng province to review the hard mission. Cambodian Mine Action Authority and Victim Assistance (CMAA) first vice-president Ly Thuch told Khmer Times on Wednesday that those ammunitions which were lying in the river for over 30 years can explode and harm humans and animals at any time. These hidden ammunitions are not only in the river but also in the sea and authorities are surveying them every day, especially, the Mekong River which was the transportation route of the troops and also a battle field,” Thuch said. He added that Mekong River along Prey Veng and Svay Rieng provinces are the hot spot of battle field in the past which are suspected of having many unexploded ordnances kept hidden at the bottom of the river. He continued that there are so many of unexploded ordnances in the river and the sea and the experts are relentlessly working to remove them, which were lying under water for 30 to 50 years or more. CMAC official, Phat Phearak, on Wednesday revealed that the operation was divided into two parts that included a five-month long technical research between January-May, 2022 and clearance of unexploded ordnance that will last for seven months from June to December in 2022. He added that the technical research team has found the about 2,000 shells and 640 unexploded ordnances weighing about 8 tonnes. Based on the technical basis, the experts have set a clear map to identify the areas affected by unexploded ordnance by the sinking of the tanker, covering an area of 348 hectares, including 268 hectares of river basin and a large number of 80 hectares of land areas. Phearak indicated that CMAC’s experts found that 268 hectares floodplain area, including 197 hectares of high-risk areas and 71 hectares of medium-risk areas with 1,302 bullet points or shipwrecks.
Photo-Source: khmertimeskh.com
If you find anything that appears to be an explosive device, do not touch it, leave it where it is and call the police. We will contact the appropriate agencies to properly dispose of the item.
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