Clear Path International
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 22, 2005
1:30 PM |
CONTACT: Clear Path International
James Hathaway, james@cpi.org
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US-Vietnam War Continues to Claim Lives, Limbs In Central Vietnam
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QUANG TRI, Vietnam - August 22 - The US-Vietnam War continues to claim
lives
and limbs here in Central Vietnam. Bombs that lie scattered across the
landscape detonate on a regular basis killing and maiming adults and
children.
51 year old Tran Ca was clearing weeds last week near an
ancestral tomb in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam when his hoe hit a piece
of unknown ordnance. The piece exploded and he died from his injuries
in the hospital an hour later. His son in law, Ky was slightly injured
in the accident.
Also last week, 17 year old Tran Dinh Quan lost an eye and a
hand when a piece of ordnance he discovered exploded and nearly killed
him. He was removing brush from a bomb crater near his home to raise
fish for his family. Bomb craters are commonplace in this part of
Vietnam which still feels the effects of a war that ended long ago.
Although the Vietnam War ended 30 years ago, by some estimates
over 350,000 tons of bombs that did not detonate when dropped remain in
the ground. This ordnance regularly claims lives and limbs in this
still war-ravaged province. Since the conflict ended in 1975, nearly
40,000 Vietnamese have been killed by by these munitions.
Clear Path International serves landmine and bomb accident
survivors, their families and their communities in former war zones in
Southeast Asia. This assistance takes the form of both direct and
indirect medical and social services to survivor families as well as
equipment support to hospitals. Current Clear Path projects are in
Vietnam, Cambodia and on the Thai-Burma border.
More information about Clear Path International can be found on the
web at www.cpi.org.
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