A 1.6 meter-long bomb was salvaged Monday from the Red River near Hanoi’s historic Long Bien Bridge.
Two boats carrying 15 soldiers of the capital’s High Command sailed to a spot around 800 m from the Long Bien Bridge right next to a sand bank in the middle of the river, at around 5:30 p.m.
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Two divers then jumped off to retrieve the bomb, while other boats patrolled the area to prevent ships and other vessels from venturing near the bomb site.
A bomb, retrieved under the Red River near Hanoi’s Long Bien Bridge, is taken away by a military crane truck to be disposed of, June 22, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.
The bomb, discovered four days earlier, was finally retrieved at around 6:45 p.m. It was taken to an empty land lot far away from residential areas on Phu Vien Street, Long Bien District and taken away by a military crane truck later to be disposed of.
This is the second Vietnam War bomb found near the Long Bien Bridge. In 2017, a 2.25 meter-long bomb was salvaged from the river and disposed of.
Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi, Vietnam
A A symbol of the tenacity and resilience of the Hanoian people, the Long Bien Bridge (built between 1899 and 1902) was bombed on several occasions during the American War, and each time quickly repaired by the Vietnamese.
Designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), the bridge, used by trains, mopeds and pedestrians, is undergoing reconstruction to restore its original appearance. It’s colorfully illuminated at night.
Reporting by Giang Huy, Ngoc Thanh, Tat Dinh @ VNExpress