Unexploded Ordnance
The Second Indochina War left Laos with a legacy of bombs, landmines and mortar shells that will haunt the country for decades to come, despite the efforts of de-mining organizations. Round, tennis-ball sized anti-personnel bomblets, known as bombi, are the most common type of unexploded ordnance (UXO), and large bombs, ranging in size from 100kg to 1000kg, also proliferate. Ten provinces have one or more districts severely contaminated with UXO; listed in order of impact they are: Savannakhet, Xiang Khouang, Salavan, Khammouan, Xekong, Champasak, Saisomboun, Houa Phan, Attapu and Louang Phabang. Another five provinces have at least one district with significant contamination: Louang Namtha, Phongsali, Bolikhamxai, Vientiane Province, Vientiane Prefecture. Although most towns and tourist sites are free of UXO, 25 percent of villages remain contaminated and accidents continue at a rate of two hundred per year. As accidents often occur while people are tending their fields, the risk faced by the average visitor is relatively limited. Nonetheless, the number one rule is: don't be a trailblazer. When in rural areas, always stay on well-worn paths, even when passing through a village, and don't pick up or kick at anything if you don't know what it is. Take special care in areas known to be heavily contaminated, such as the districts surrounding the former Ho Chi Minh Trail.
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