War Era Bombs Injure 2 Year Old and 72 Year Old In Vietnam
Posted by: Tran Thi Thanh Toan
 (Nguyen Duc Tam, born in 1979, Doan Thi Thuy, born in 1983, Nguyen Khuong Duy, born in 2004 and Huynh Anh, aged 34) An accident happened to 4 people at 14h on April 29^th in Cam Pho village, Gio My Commune of Gio
Linh district, Quang Tri province, of which a 2 and a half years old boy was severely injured. Tam and Thuy is a couple whose house had been newly built in a new economic zone within the same village. April 29^th was their first but unlucky day in the new house. Huynh Anh is their neighbor who just came by to visit the new house with the couple.
It heavily rained on this day in Quang Tri. Therefore, Tam decided to enlarge a ditch in front of the house for avoiding waterlogging. Unknown ordnance suddenly exploded and injured 4 of them, including Duy, the
couple’s son who was playing sand near by. Tam received a lot of fragments in entire body while his wife was fragmented in the face and one big fragment gone through the right thigh. Unfortunately, Duy’s left
thighbone was broken and a lot of fragments in his 2 eyes. Huynh Anh, the neighbour was also terribly injured that the joint in the left should be removed for his health safety.
After the accident, they were all taken to the district hospital for irst aid and then transferred to Quang Tri General hospital for intensive treatment.
When we visited the family Tam, Thuy and Duy this morning, May 2^nd in Quang tri General Hospital, we found Duy’s left leg in plaster and cried a lot because of being frightened and painful. Tam and Thuy were in
sorrow while Huynh Anh, the neighbor was transferred to Hue Central Hospital because of the severe injury.
 (Ngo Phuc Nong, born in 1935) Another new accident happened to a 72 year-old farmer in Vinh Chap commune, Vinh Linh district on May Day while he was repairing bicycle for his nephew at home. A fuse in a box of bicycle tools but he did not know detonated when he took it to tap into the bicycle. His two hands and right foot were torn out and also a big fragment went through his lung.
After the accident, he was taken to the district health center for first aid and then transferred to Quang Tri General Hospital for intensive treatment.
No one ever expected such unfortunate as the family above and the 72 year-old man on the holiday. The new house is now left empty but they had to stay in hospital for medical treatment.
Posted by Toan at May 04, 2007 02:01 PM
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Toan,
Is this the commune that we visited (with Phoung) in February? If so, it is a commune that is still heavily littered with uxo. We visited several families who lost their sons or whose sons were injured in uxo accidents. It's a place where you can see uxo laying around in the cemetary and other places.
I am so sorry to hear about this accident. Poor civilians continue to be the victims of bombing after the peace has been declared. In this case, more than 30 years after.
The United States continues to sell weapons and weapon delivery systems, and use weapons in Iraq in the invasion (and occupation), a place we have no right to be. These weapons are maiming and killing civilans now and will kill and maim innocent civilians for decades.
If people would like to take action you can support the Cluster Munition Coalition and Norwegian People's Aid initiative to develop the treaty to ban cluster munitions - with the goal of states signing it by 2008 - by writing your representatives and urging them to support the ban. This is the best solution for the billions of cluster munitions in the stocks now. At least it's a beginning, although it won't do anything to help the uxo problem in Central Vietnam.
Warm regards,
Joan
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