The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) has renewed its calls for the public to remain alert to the danger of landmines following an incident in which a man was left severely injured in Preah Vihear province.
The 42-year-old lost his right foot after stepping on the mine on July 4 while collecting vegetables and fruit in area of forest near Norng Tim Mountain in the province’s Choam Ksan district, and was rushed to 16 Makara Provincial Referral Hospital.
CMAA urged people to refrain from entering any area they were not certain was mine-free and safe.
“We call on people to not enter any area they don’t know for sure is mine-free, and they must inquire with us first if they have to enter any unknown area.
“Do not ever touch a landmine or any other unexploded ordnance should they be encountered, as this will likely cause the explosive device to detonate, resulting in injury, disability and death.
“Should mines be discovered, they must be reported to CMAA immediately, and the nearest landmine removal operators will remove them,” it said.
CMAA first vice-president Ly Thuch on July 5 offered his sincerest condolences over the incident, adding that the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) had made donations to his family to ease their financial burden.
“We express our deepest regret at the incident, which provides us – the landmine clearance sector with more than 5,000 demining personnel – with greater motivation to work even harder in line with the vision of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
“CMAA will increase informing as to the danger of mines at grassroots levels, particularly near still-contaminated areas, with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport educating at schools in remote areas on the threat they still pose, and through national police officials, the Cambodian Mine Action Centre and the Cambodian Red Cross,” Thuch said.
A recent CMAA report stated that 21 people had fallen victim to UXO in the first six months of this year, down 48 per cent on the 40 during same period of 2022.
And while two people were hurt by explosive ordnance, with one badly wounded and the other left disabled, from January to July of 2023, this was a decrease of 83 per cent on the 12 people injured during the same period of last year.
