An old civil war anti-tank land mine in the western region of Cambodia exploded and killed 14 people after a truck drove over it, officials said Wednesday.
The victims, reportedly including a 1-year-old girl and a six-month-old baby, were reportedly returning to their village from farming in the Banan district located in Battambang province when they ran over the mine at around 5:15 p.m. local time.
Banan district police chief Buth Sambo said they were returning from a chili farm in Kampong Kul village.
“The road was abandoned after the civil war because during the Pol Pot regime, [the Khmer Rouge] put anti-tank mines in the ground,” Sambo told the Phnom Penh Post. “The villagers should not have traveled on that road because we already have a new one nearby.”
During the first 10 months of the year, 53 people have died and 181 have been injured by mines and unexploded ordenance, representing a 13 percent increase compared to the previous year, according to de-mining project.
“This is the second time [this year] an accident like this has caused so many casualties,2 said Chhiv Lim, project manager for the Cambodia Mine/ERW Victim Information System, who described the accident as the worst in recent memory.
THAINDIAN
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