3 Cambodian deminers killed disarming old shell

PHNOM PENH -- Three Cambodian deminers were killed in a blast as they were handling an unexploded shell left over from decades of civil war, an official said Sunday. The accident occurred in the western province of Kampong Speu on Saturday when explosive powder in the ordnance was accidentally sparked, Heng Rattana, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, told AFP. He said the trio tried to run away “but could not escape before the explosion.” Because of bad weather, the men had been trying to store the shell so that it could be destroyed the following day, Heng Rattana said. Nearly three decades of civil war and a secret U.S. bombing campaign during the Vietnam War have left impoverished Cambodia one of the world's most heavily mined countries. According to chinapost.com.tw, May 16, 2011