While playing in their backyard, two toddlers have become yet more victims of the thousands of undiscovered explosives left lying around Cambodia after the war as they unearth an old grenade.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Since the conflict in Cambodia ended in 1975, there have been over 60,000 victims of undiscovered explosives. Despite ongoing efforts by various groups, there is still an average of one death or injury per week.
This week, two toddlers were playing in their back garden when they came across the grenade. It was suspected to be over 25 years old. The fragments of the explosive revealed it to be an unexploded rocket-propelled grenade.
The toddler's father was watching them play when the explosive detonated. It killed one of the toddlers instantly, with the second being rushed to hospital with wounds from the grenade. They suffered severe injuries and passed away later from their wounds.
The two toddlers who lost their lives were cousins.
Cambodia Still Rocked By Conflict
Since the war between the people of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge regime, there are still remnants of the atrocities across the country. The persecution of the people, which led to the passing of between 1.5 and 2 million people, still claims lives.
It is suspected that there are still four to six million undiscovered explosives in Cambodia. However, some estimates are significantly higher. The grenade that killed the two toddlers as they played in their garden is one of many in the country.
There are still huge efforts in place to try to clear the various explosives. Many groups and charities employ tactics to find and safely remove the dangerous leftovers. Everything from dogs to rats is used to sniff them out.
It's a tragedy left over from one of the worst genocides ever seen. Even 20 years later, the country struggles with the conflict. Fatalities like this, although becoming more uncommon, are still going to occur in Cambodia.
Because of the many abandoned explosives in the country, they also suffer the highest ratio of amputees in the world. It was a truly devastating conflict. still felt today.
