Phnom penh: Military attach©s from nine countries visited the site of a massive unexploded MK-84 aerial bomb in Oddar Meanchey province on Sunday, highlighting the persistent threat posed by remnants of recent conflicts.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, a delegation of 14 representatives from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, France, Laos, and Vietnam inspected the bomb in Thmar Daun village, located in Banteay Ampil district.
H.E. Heng Ratana, Director General of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), provided historical data showing that 1,549 aerial bombs were dropped in Oddar Meanchey province alone. The MK-84 bomb found at this specific location weighs nearly one tonne, is 3.5 metres long, and has a diameter of almost half a metre.
CMAC records indicate that Thai armed forces dropped 10 of these bombs at the site. Four of them detonated, but six, including the one inspected by the attach©s, remain unexploded.
CMAC is continuing its critical work of researching, marking, and clearing these sites to ensure the safety of residents in the affected areas.