Village Chief Discovers Five Grenades During Road Construction in Phayao

[Georgealbert]

 

 

A shocking discovery of five hand grenades halted a road construction project in Huai Pum Village, Chiang Kham District, on November 22. The explosives, believed to date back to the Communist insurgency era, were safely removed and destroyed by authorities.

 

Police Captain Worakorn Onkhoksung, Commander of Border Patrol Police Company 326, was alerted to the incident by the village chief of Huai Pum, Moo 14, Rom Yen Subdistrict. The grenades were found along the roadside near a mango orchard on the route leading to the remote mountain village.

 

Upon arrival, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team from Border Patrol Police Division 32 secured the site. The grenades, identified as old but fully functional Chinese-made fragmentation hand grenades, were discovered in a metal box near the orchard. Officers placed protective rubber tires over the devices and established a 200-metre safety perimeter.

 

Preliminary inspections confirmed that the grenades remained intact and operational, with a blast radius of approximately 20 metres. Authorities suspect the explosives were remnants of the Communist insurgency, as the village is located in a mountainous area near the border between Thailand and Laos, historically a conflict zone.

 

The village chief explained that the grenades were uncovered during excavation work for the road construction project. “While supervising the roadwork near the mango orchard, I noticed objects resembling old grenades in the soil. I immediately reported it to the local Border Patrol Police base,” he said.

 

The EOD team safely retrieved the grenades, recorded the incident, and later conducted a controlled detonation to neutralise the threat.

 

Authorities have reiterated the importance of vigilance in areas near former conflict zones, urging locals to report any suspicious objects to ensure public safety.

 

Picture courtesy of EOD team.

-- 2024-11-24