The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) in Vietnam said on October 31 that its team had recently dealt with the explosive device after a local resident found it entangled in the tree's root system.
The discovery was made by a man named Hoa while trimming the roots of a star apple tree in preparation for selling it. He had bought the tree from a household in another commune and transported it home, unaware that a cluster bomb was lodged among its roots.
Having encountered explosive ordnance before, Hoa quickly recognised the object and understood the danger of disturbing it further.
He immediately stopped work, left the object untouched and informed the village head, who then contacted Quang Tri's bomb and mine hotline to request assistance.
After receiving the report, MAG's technical team inspected the object and confirmed it was a cluster bomb. Specialists subsequently dealt with it in accordance with safety procedures, protecting nearby households from potential danger.
MAG said the incident showed that landmines and explosive remnants of war did not always remain in the places where they were originally left. They can be moved along with soil, rocks, plants and materials used in construction, farming and gardening.
The discovery of a cluster bomb among the roots of a star apple tree serves as a warning that unexploded ordnance can pose risks during ordinary daily activities and work.
Hoa's decision to stop working and alert the authorities promptly helped ensure the bomb was safely removed, preventing a possible accident involving him or people nearby.
MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is an international humanitarian non-governmental organisation that works to locate and clear landmines, cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance. It has operated in Vietnam since 1999, focusing much of its work on central provinces, including Quang Tri.