Truck Driver Killed by Anti-Tank Mine Blast in Northwest Cambodia
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Synopsis
An anti-tank mine explosion in Battambang province has resulted in the death of a truck driver, highlighting the ongoing threat of landmines in Cambodia. This incident follows another tragic explosion that killed two demining experts earlier in the week, emphasizing the hazards that remain from decades of conflict.
Key Takeaways
- Anti-tank mine explosion kills a truck driver.
- Second incident this week involving landmines.
- Over four million landmines remain in Cambodia.
- Ongoing efforts to clear contaminated land.
- Prime Minister emphasizes the continuing threat.
Phnom Penh, Jan 18 (NationPress) An anti-tank mine, left over from wartime, detonated, resulting in the death of a truck driver in the Sampov Lun district of Battambang province, as reported by a mine clearance official on Saturday.
Heng Ratana, the Director-General of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), indicated that the incident occurred on Friday afternoon when the truck, which was transporting cassava, struck an anti-tank mine in the village of Kon Phnom Khang Tboung.
This marks the second incident involving an anti-tank mine explosion this week. The first explosion took place on Thursday, tragically claiming the lives of two Cambodian demining experts in Oddar Meanchey province.
The earlier incident occurred in Trapeang Prey village, situated in the Trapeang Prasat district of northwestern Oddar Meanchey province, while the two male deminers were engaged in the removal of an anti-tank mine from a farmer's rice field.
Cambodia is significantly impacted by landmines, with an estimated four to six million landmines and other munitions remaining from three decades of warfare and internal conflicts that concluded in 1998.
Yale University reports that between 1965 and 1973, the US dropped 230,516 bombs across 113,716 locations in Cambodia.
A government report from Cambodia noted that from 1979 to 2024, landmine and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) explosions have resulted in 19,834 fatalities, as well as injuries or amputations for 45,252 individuals.
In a public address last November, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet remarked that while peace was achieved in 1998, the danger posed by landmines continues to threaten lives and impede post-war recovery.
He noted that Cambodia has successfully cleared over 3,000 square kilometers of landmines and has destroyed more than one million anti-personnel mines alongside three million ERWs.
“We have declared 15 out of 25 capital cities and provinces as mine-free,” Manet stated. “However, our journey is far from complete, as we still have over 1,600 square kilometers of contaminated land affecting approximately one million people.”
