Anti-tank mine explosion in Banan District, Battambang a timely reminder of the ever present dangers of landmines and ERW problem in Cambodia
Saturday, December 04, 2010
An Anti-tank mine explosion in Banan District of Battambang province on 16 November 2010 took 13 lives and seriously injured one, serving as an important reminder that landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination in some parts of Cambodia is far from over.
“All staff and management of CMAC wish to share our sincere condolences to the victims and their families.”
On 16 November 2010 the explosion of an anti-tank mine at Kul village, Cheng Mean Chey Commune, Banan District, Battambang province resulted in the tragic deaths of 13 people. The blast also seriously injured one person, who is currently being treated at the hospital. Immediately after the incident, the mine action community attended the scene to ensure the area was safe for the local community.
Ms Chan Tho, CMAC's District Focal Point based in Banan district, reported back to CMAC that the area is a former battle zone where using landmine was a common tactic amongst the warring parties. "When we deployed our local demining teams to create safe access to the accident and victims, the CMAC team discovered a second anti-tank mine, just six metres away from the scene of the accident, " she said. “CMAC has cleared the area now, but it is devastating that an accident of this size can still occur and we are committed to stopping this type of accident from occurring in the future.”
In November this year a separate explosion involving a tractor took place in a marked minefield. The farmer overlooked the warning signs marked by CMAC and drove off a well used road into a minefield in Samlout District.
These accidents are an important reminder to the public and the international mine action community that the problem of landmines and ERW in Cambodia is still prevalent in certain parts of the country. The extent of contamination in Cambodia is still significantly high, despite the immense efforts of mine clearance over the past 18 years and landmines still pose a significant threat to the civilian population.
Between 1992 and 2010, the combined efforts of demining operators in Cambodia have fully cleared 604,016,183m2 of contaminated land, unearthed 910,643 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines and found and destroyed 2,030,392 Unexploded Ordnances (UXO). In 2002, a National Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) showed that 4,544km2 of land is still contaminated with landmines.
With 18 years of experience in demining, Cambodia has become internationally recognised for its mine action experience, which includes a strong and highly developed mine risk reduction system, cutting edge survey methodologies and state of the art research trials. Despite this highly developed capacity, demining is an expensive process and without the considerable support of the Royal Government of Cambodia and international partners and donors, demining in Cambodia would not be possible. With just ten years left to meet the requirements of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, time is critical to achieving Cambodia’s ultimate goal of being landmine free by 2020. CMAC
