A bomb clearance and disposal team of Peace Trees Vietnam on October 17 successfully handled and moved 27 artillery shells left from the war in Huong Hoa district, the central province of Quang Tri. The 105-mm shells, produced in the US, were found in the garden of a resident in Pa Tang commune. They weigh 19 kg each, with five of them having fuses. All the explosive devices were then transferred to a warehouse before they are defused. It was the first time such a large number of shells had been unearthed in Pa Tang. Quang Tri province was one of the hardest-hit provinces in the war. Nearly 400,000ha of the 461,000ha province still contain bombs and mines. Every year, some 2,300-2,500ha of land is cleared. Since the beginning of 2017 to date, the team has found and removed 2,500 explosive devices. (VietnamPlus Oct 17)