Asia-Pacific News
Vietnam War-era shell explodes, killing two
Jan 3, 2012, 4:02 GMT
Hanoi - Two people were killed in southern Vietnam when a Vietnam War-era shell blew up as a scrapyard collector was trying to open it to extract the explosives, authorities said Tuesday.
The incident occurred Monday when the unidentified victim picked up a 105-millimetre shell and used a hammer to smash it for scrap metal in Binh Thuan province, police said.
The explosion also injured two truck drivers and two people on a motorbike nearby, one of whom died in hospital, Viet Nam News reported.
Salvaging metal and explosives from war-era ordnance is illegal but widespread. The explosives are often used in fishing and informal mining and quarrying.
Leftover munitions kill hundreds of people every year.
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