Four Americans Wounded at Demining Center Explosion

WASHINGTON DC - Four American demining experts were wounded Tuesday afternoon in an explosion at a training center in Kampong Chhnang province, officials said.

Heng Ratana, head of the Cambodian Mine Action Center, where the deminers had been holding a training session, told VOA Khmer the four were now in the hospital after being evacuated by helicopter.

Their names have not been released, and the Associated Press was reporting late Tuesday that two were critically injured. A US Embassy spokesman confirmed to AP that four Americans had been injured in the accident.

A source in Kampong Chhnang said the four were training using a 33-mm rocket when it exploded.

Heng Ratana said the four Americans were at a training center where unexploded ordnance is held after it is uncovered and removed from a site.

“They are explosive experts who come to help Cambodian deminers especially, and additionally training CMAC technical team,” Heng Ratana said. The team had been training at the center for two days before the incident occurred. Heng Ratana said the cause of the accident was not yet determined.