In 1996, Mr. Somphone Duangchampa got seriously injured by an unexploded ordnance (UXO) while preparing the area behind his house to build a cattle pen. The accident caused severe injuries to his leg and abdomen.
Today, he serves as the village chief of Lak 38 Village in Paksong District in southern Laos. According to him, villagers often encounter UXO in the village. Just recently, one week before Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) team arrived, another UXO item has been reported and safely destroyed. On 25 March 2026, Mr. Somphone was clearing grass in his coffee plantation, about 800 meters from his home, when he discovered another bomb – his second encounter. He found the first UXO two years earlier, and it has been safely removed.
“When I saw the bomb after clearing the grass, I was shocked. We used to burn trash in that area, and luckily it never exploded,” he shared. Following the report from Mr. Somphone, the NPA team responded immediately by visiting the site, and safely relocating and destroying the UXO which was found close to the powerline, residential areas, and vegetation.
Encountering UXO during cultivation is a common and well-recognized reality in Lao PDR where farmers frequently come across these dangerous items while preparing land and planting.
NPA sincerely thanks 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 through the U.S. Embassy Vientiane for the valuable support to our mine action work in Lao PDR.
