Dangerous depots: the growing humanitarian problem posed by aging and poorly maintained munitions storage sites around the world.[Some information in the historical timeline in this fact sheet was drawn from a list entitled "Major Ammunition Accidents--1916 to 2008" compiled by Colonel George Zahaczewsky, U.S. Army (Retired). Colonel Zahaczewsky was formerly the Director of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. (U.S.) Department of Defense's Humanitarian Demining Department of Defense and Department of State program to promote the foreign policy interests of the United States by assisting other nations in protecting their populations from landmines and clearing land of the threat posed by landmines remaining after conflict has ended. Research and Development Program. Information was also drawn from "Recent Explosive Events in Ammunition Storage Areas," a report of 137 incidents released in June 2007 by the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Eastern Europe The countries of eastern Europe, especially those that were allied with the USSR in the Warsaw Pact, which was established in 1955 and dissolved in 1991. Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms small arms, firearms designed primarily to be carried and fired by one person and, generally, held in the hands, as distinguished from heavy arms, or artillery. Early Small Arms The first small arms came into general use at the end of the 14th cent. and Light Weapons (www.seesac.org)]. On March 15, 2008, a series of massive and deadly explosions ripped through an Albanian government munitions mu·ni·tion n. War materiel, especially weapons and ammunition. Often used in the plural. tr.v. mu·ni·tioned, mu·ni·tion·ing, mu·ni·tions To supply with munitions. depot in the village of Gerdec near Tirana, resulting in 24 deaths, injuries to over 300 more people, and catastrophic damage to hundreds of homes and other civilian structures within a 2.5 kilometer (1.5 mile) radius. Contributing factors to the initial explosion, which triggered a cascade of further explosions, involved old, unstable ammunition, improper storage, and unsafe handling. Sadly, this was not a unique incident. Catastrophic explosions at other munitions storage depots in populated pop·u·late tr.v. pop·u·lat·ed, pop·u·lat·ing, pop·u·lates 1. To supply with inhabitants, as by colonization; people. 2. areas in Uzbekistan and Bulgaria have since occurred. They are the latest in a series of incidents spanning many years and among the most recent manifestations of an international problem that has worsened since the end of the Cold War--government arms depots filled with ageing, unstable, poorly maintained, improperly stored, and weakly guarded munitions. These "dangerous depots" have the potential to create even more casualties on an annual basis than landmines and explosive remnants of war Explosive remnants of war is a term used in the humanitarian aid industry to describe the explosive threats remaining in post-war society. This includes landmines, cluster bombs, IEDs and other unexploded ordnance. . The Landmine Monitor recorded a total of 5,751 known casualties in 2006 from landmines and explosive remnants of war worldwide. Yet in one afternoon alone in 2007, a catastrophic explosion at a munitions depot outside of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique Noun 1. capital of Mozambique - the capital and largest city of Mozambique Maputo Mocambique, Mozambique, Republic of Mozambique - a republic on the southeastern coast of Africa on the Mozambique Channel; became independent from Portugal in 1975 , killed and injured over 600 people, far more than the 35 people reportedly killed by landmines and explosive remnants of war in Mozambique the previous year. Years ago the U.S. recognized this growing humanitarian threat to innocent civilians around the world whose homes, schools, markets, and places of worship are in close proximity to munitions depots filled with ageing artillery shells, bombs, and other munitions, even sea mines, and that are prone to spontaneous explosions due to improper storage and unsafe handling. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (.www.state.govt/om/wra) in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs is an agency within the United States Department of State that bridges the Department of State with the Department of Defense. It provides policy in the areas of international security, security assistance, military operations, defense offers Physical Security and Stockpile stock·pile n. A supply stored for future use, usually carefully accrued and maintained. tr.v. stock·piled, stock·pil·ing, stock·piles To accumulate and maintain a supply of for future use. Management assistance to other countries to help them deal with their dangerous depots. This office, in concert with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (or DTRA) is a combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) whose primary function is to analyze potential threats to the United States, both homeland and abroad, and provide contingency plans for all such (www.dtra.mil/oe/osi/programs/smarms/index.cfm?More), has already been invited by several countries around the world to provide such assistance. In fact, the largest arms and munitions destruction project in history is being undertaken in Ukraine through a North Atlantic Treaty Organization North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), established under the North Atlantic Treaty (Apr. 4, 1949) by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States. (NATO NATO: see North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO in full North Atlantic Treaty Organization International military alliance created to defend western Europe against a possible Soviet invasion. ) Partnership for Peace Trust Fund project, in which this Office is serving as the focal point focal point n. See focus. for the U.S., which is the lead donor. Unfortunately, the U.S. has received fewer requests for help than is commensurate with the problem of dangerous munitions depots around the world. The historic timeline of selected incidents [that follow indicate] the humanitarian impact posed by dangerous depots is widespread and worsening. Examples of Major Accidents at Munitions Depots 2008 July 10, Uzbekistan An explosion at a military depot in Kagan, southeast of Bukhara, killed at least three persons and injured twenty-one, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the host government. There have been unconfirmed reports of even more casualties. July 3, Bulgaria A series of explosions at the Chelopchene munitions depot in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, rocked the city and forced the evacuation of residents within a 6 kilometer (3.7 mile) radius. Tons of ammunition and explosives blew up immediately. More munitions and explosives are believed to be damaged, constituting a danger. The U.S. immediately offered to help remediate this hazardous explosive site and Bulgaria accepted. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement is preparing to render assistance. March 15, Albania A massive explosion at a munitions depot in Gerdec, northwest of the capital Tirana, killed some 24 people, injured over 300, destroyed over 400 homes, and resulted in the evacuation of over 4,000 nearby residents. The depot was being used as a munitions demilitarization de·mil·i·ta·rize tr.v. de·mil·i·ta·rized, de·mil·i·ta·riz·ing, de·mil·i·ta·riz·es 1. To eliminate the military character of. 2. facility. The precise cause of the explosion is still being investigated. Preliminary findings point to unsafe procedures that triggered a spontaneous explosion which created numerous secondary explosions. The U.S. Embassy, Department of State (DOS), and Department of Defense (DoD) immediately provided assistance. Subsequently, the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement has committed $2 million to help Albanian authorities thoroughly and safely clean up all of the highly dangerous unexploded ordnance "UXO" redirects here. For the cancelled video game, see . Unexploded ordnance (or UXOs/UXBs, sometimes acronymized as UO) are explosive weapons (bombs, bullets, shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, etc. that still litters the site and environs. See statements related to this tragedy on the U.S. Embassy website is found at: http://tirana.usembassy.gov/2008_releases.html. 2007--December 29, Colombia A series of about six explosions at an army base in Medellin killed two people, injured seven, and caused neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. civilian residents to flee. The first explosion was reportedly caused by a grenade grenade (grĭnād`), small bomb filled with explosives, gas, or chemicals and either thrown by hand or shot from a modified rifle or a grenade launcher. Grenades were in use as early as the 15th cent. that detonated inside a weapons storage area. July 26, Syria An explosion at a munitions depot at a military complex approximately 6 miles north of Aleppo killed fifteen soldiers and wounded fifty. Officials blamed the explosion on a heat wave. June 17, Democratic Republic of Congo A Congolese Army munitions depot near Mbandaka in Equateur Province was destroyed in an explosion, which killed three people and injured 52. April 7, Sudan The international airport in Khartoum was closed temporarily due to an explosion in an adjacent munitions depot. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties. March 22, Mozambique Over 100 people were killed and more than 500 injured when the Malhazine Ammunition Depot exploded in a densely populated neighborhood 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the center of downtown Maputo, the capital. Unexploded ordnance from that explosion continued to injure people for several days afterwards. Hot weather and negligence were cited as the cause. The depot was constructed in 1984 by the Soviet Union and stockpiled with obsolete Soviet-era weapons and munitions. It had already experienced an explosion in January 2007, which injured three people. 2006--October 19, Serbia An explosion in a munitions depot injured approximately twenty people in the town of Paracin and caused damage, some of it significant, in that town and in the villages of Cuprija and Jagodina. The United Kingdom and United Nations Development Program (UNDP UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNDP Unión Nacional para la Democracia y el Progreso (National Union for Democracy and Progress) ) provided assistance. March 23, Afghanistan Two civilians were killed and almost 60 were injured, along with eighteen Afghan Army soldiers, when a fire and explosion occurred in a storage area for confiscated con·fis·cate tr.v. con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing, con·fis·cates 1. To seize (private property) for the public treasury. 2. To seize by or as if by authority. See Synonyms at appropriate. adj. weapons and ammunition in Jabal Saraj Jabal Saraj or Its Arabic name (Jabal-ul-Siraj) is a district of Parwan province located north of the capital Kabul. It is located on the way to Salang Pass and surrounded by high peaks of mountains. , northeast of Kabul. The munitions had been collected as part of the Disarmament of Illegal Armed Groups Program sponsored by the UNDP. Leaking white phosphorus white phosphorus pure phosphorus, used at one time as a rodenticide. munitions may have caused the accident. The site was eventually cleared by a DynCorp International DynCorp International[2] is a United States-based private military contractor (PMC) and aircraft maintenance company. DynCorp receives more than 96 percent of its $2 billion in annual revenues from the federal government. explosive ordnance disposal The detection, identification, on-site evaluation, rendering safe, recovery, and final disposal of unexploded explosive ordnance. It may also include explosive ordnance which has become hazardous by damage or deterioration. Also called EOD. team funded by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. 2005--October 1, Russia A fire in a Russian Pacific Fleet ammunition storage depot on the Kamchatka Peninsula Kamchatka Peninsula Peninsula, eastern Russia. It lies between the Sea of Okhotsk on the west and the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea on the east. It is 750 mi (1,200 km) long and 300 mi (480 km) across at its widest point, and it has an area of 140,000 sq mi (370,000 sq km). forced the evacuation of five local towns. Although subsequent explosions in the depot scattered flying ordnance over an 8 kilometer (nearly 5 mile) area, there were no reported casualties. May 2, Afghanistan An illicit collection of munitions in Bajgah, north of Kabul, exploded, killing 28 people, injuring 13, and leveling 25 houses in the village. The munitions had been stockpiled by a local militia commander. 2004--May 6, Ukraine Five people were killed and over 300 wounded in explosions in ammunition-loaded railroad cars at a munitions storage site near Melitopol (Novo-Bogdanovka) in the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine. The explosions also forced the evacuation of over 5,000 people living within a 15 kilometer (9.3 mile) radius of the disaster site. Over 300 buildings were destroyed; and six villages--Novobohdanovka, Vorozhdeniye, Privolnoye, Spaskoye, Oriovo, and Vysokoye--within 40 kilometers (nearly 25 miles) of the depot were reported to be partially or totally destroyed. Some reports attributed the accident to cigarette smoking within the depot. February 19, India Thirty persons were injured due to an explosion at a munitions depot in Amritsar, India. 2003--October 11, Ukraine Several thousand people were evacuated from their homes after a series of explosions ripped through a munitions depot at Artemovsk (Artyomovsky) in the eastern Donetsk region. The explosions, caused by a fire, shattered shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. the windows of several apartment blocks. June 28, Iraq Approximately 30 Iraqis were killed, and scores injured, when an artillery ammunition dump ammunition dump n → depósito de municiones ammunition dump n → dépôt m de munitions ammunition dump ammunition n they were looting north of Haditha blew up. March 23, Ecuador An explosion at a navy base in Guayaquil killed one, injured 22, and damaged at least 360 homes. A second explosion occurred on March 30 but reportedly caused no new casualties. January 23, Peru An explosion killed seven Peruvian military personnel who were inspecting ammunition at a base depot and injured fifteen other military personnel and 80 civilians on the base, which is located about half a mile from the city of Tumbes. 2002--November 21, Ecuador Two explosions in the munitions depot of Ecuador's largest military installation near the city of Riobamba killed seven people and injured 274. The incident was attributed to the accidental detonation of a grenade during a munitions handling operation. October 30, Mozambique The explosion of a munitions depot in Beira reportedly killed six people, injured fifty others, and affected approximately 900 more. Three more people who lived in the area were killed in November 2006 after encountering an item of unexploded ordnance that had been projected from this 2002 explosion. June 28, Afghanistan Nineteen people (some reports state 32) were killed and as many as 70 injured when a munitions depot blew up in Spin Boldak Spin Boldak or Spin Buldak, is a town belonging to Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, right next to the Durand Line border with Pakistan. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north and Chaman in Pakistan to the south. . The explosion (cause unknown, although there was one report of a rocket attack) scattered rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft rounds, and small arms ammunition Ammunition for small arms, i.e., all ammunition up to and including 20 millimeters (.787 inches). over a wide area. January 29, Thailand [Damaged munitions from an incident that occurred in 2001 caused] a second, smaller explosion in a munitions depot in Pak Chong and resulted in eleven casualties. January 27, Nigeria Catastrophic explosions at the Ikeja ammunition depot in the center of Lagos and the resulting panic, which caused as many as 600 people to drown in a canal as they fled, resulted in more than 1,100 deaths and 5,000 injured. The accident displaced 20,000 people and destroyed much of the northern part of Lagos. A fire near the depot reportedly initiated the explosion. However, other reports blamed the accident on the deteriorated condition of much of the old munitions stored there. The U.S. Department of State's former Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs (a precursor to the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement) provided clean up assistance through a contract with RONCO Consulting Corporation. January 11, India An explosion at a munitions depot in Bikaner killed two persons and injured 12. The preceding list of incidents is merely a sampling. There have been many more accidents at munitions depots around the world over the years. The phenomenon of catastrophic explosions at munitions depots is not new, nor is it simply a post-Cold War development. For example, on August 18, 1946 the sudden detonation of 28 sea mines, containing approximately 9 tons of explosives, killed 70 personnel and injured 100 others in Vergarolla, Croatia. However, since the end of the Cold War, the frequency of such incidents has increased as has the expansion of civilian dwellings towards what were once isolated depots in some cases. As munitions deteriorate further, new tragedies will follow unless this problem is more widely acknowledged and addressed. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency remain committed to helping confront it. Fact Sheet By Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Washington, D.C., August 4, 2008 |
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