300kg bomb removed from downtown street in northern Vietnam

The unexploded bomb was discovered at 96 Cau Dat Street in Le Chan Ward and was excavated and transported out of the residential area by the Hai Phong City Military Command.

The bomb measures about 1.2 meters long and 40 centimeters in diameter. It remained intact when found, although its outer coating had oxidized.

The bomb was discovered at around 10:15 am on September 1, when the property owner and a group of workers were digging the foundation for a house.

After being alerted, local military authorities sent engineers to inspect the object and assess its condition before drawing up a removal plan.

On Friday morning, authorities temporarily closed a section of Cau Dat Street from 6:00 am to 11:00 am to allow the operation to proceed safely.

The closure stretched from the Cau Dat-Hai Ba Trung intersection to the Cau Dat-Nguyen Duc Canh intersection, with police diverting traffic and restricting access to the area.

Military engineers then excavated the bomb, lifted it from a depth of about four meters and transported it safely out of the neighborhood without incident.

The bomb was taken to the Nui Voi area in An Lao Commune for temporary storage before being destroyed.

Cau Dat is one of the busiest commercial streets in downtown Hai Phong, with numerous jewelry, clothing, confectionery and other retail shops.

Authorities advised residents who discover suspected bombs, mines or other explosives not to touch or move them and to immediately notify local authorities or military agencies.