Unexploded cluster bomb found at elementary school in central Vietnam

The device was found at Hong Trung Elementary School in A Luoi 1 Commune, part of Hue City, after teachers and parents noticed a suspicious object while clearing the school grounds, officials said.

Authorities cordoned off the area and contacted a bomb disposal unit from Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), an organization involved in unexploded ordnance clearance in Vietnam.

The munition was located near the school's main gate, close to the Ho Chi Minh Highway and opposite the commune's administrative center, an area with frequent public traffic.

The disposal team identified the object as an unexploded BLU-26 cluster munition that had lost its fuse. 

During a follow-up search, an unfired 40-mm grenade was also found buried shallowly about 50 centimeters from the initial site, officials said.

After an assessment, both items were removed and transported to a designated demolition area for destruction under safety procedures.

Local authorities said no unexploded ordnance had previously been recorded at the school, but recent earthworks had taken place nearby as part of a road construction project.

No injuries were reported.