42 000 killed by leftover weapons

Hanoi - Vietnam's prime minister says more than 42 000 people have been killed by bombs, mines and ordnance left from the Vietnam War, and more continue to die 36 years after the war ended.

Nguyen Tan Dung told a mine action donors' conference on Monday that more than 62 000 others have been wounded by accidental explosions of weapons from the war.

US Ambassador David Shear told the conference that the United States has provided $62 million to help Vietnam deal with “this painful legacy.”

The US Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund says more than 350 000 tons of land mines and explosives remain scattered across the country. - Sapa-AP