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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Public Policy

1995

Mozambique

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Ddasaccident033, Hd-Aid Nov 1995

Ddasaccident033, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The demining platoon had "cleared 5,1602 metres and eight mines at Homoine before the accident". The mines were laid in a narrow belt but not in a pattern. The mines found before were PMN, PMN-2, PMD6 and POMZ2M. The victim was in a crouching position with his arm outstretched (holding a trowel) when he initiated a PMN with his right foot. He was not using his detector (which was 12 metres away). He was taken to hospital at 09:35 and arrived at 10:05. A blood shortage meant that other deminers had to donate three litres of blood.


Ddasaccident034, Hd-Aid Nov 1995

Ddasaccident034, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim lived 400 metres from the working area. While walking home from work he found an MVZ57 fuse [believed to be an MV-5 fuse]. He took it home for safekeeping. Before work the next morning he was examining it on a concrete table outside his home when he accidentally dropped it 20cm onto the table and it detonated. He contacted the platoon medic by radio and asked for assistance.


Ddasaccident031, Hd-Aid Oct 1995

Ddasaccident031, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A director of the demining group was interviewed about this accident on 15th December 1998. From memory he reported that the victim was the Team Leader and had just made a radio report. He was returning to the working area and for some unexplained reason took a short-cut across a corner, stepping into an uncleared area. He trod on a Gyata-64 and lost his lower leg.


Ddasaccident035, Hd-Aid Oct 1995

Ddasaccident035, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On October 10th at 05:30 the victim initiated the mine in his tent within the camping area, seriously injuring his right arm, left leg and "breast". Nobody else was injured. First aid was given by the medical co-ordinator and two paramedics.


Ddasaccident036, Hd-Aid Aug 1995

Ddasaccident036, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 09:25 the victim was clearing a lane using a combination of detector and excavation (with a "digging trowel"). While in a kneeling position he reached out to dig at the edge of the lane and initiated a PMN. He suffered traumatic amputation of his right arm "at the elbow" and lacerations to his face, right leg, and left arm. He walked to a safe lane where paramedics gave first aid. He was then driven to Sabie and taken by air to Maputo Central Hospital, leaving at 10:17 and arriving at 11:02.


Ddasaccident037, Hd-Aid Jul 1995

Ddasaccident037, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators stated that at 09:50 on 10th July 1995 Victim No.2 initiated an OZM-3 that was behind a tree. He heard the "click" and threw himself to the ground suffering minor abrasions. "The mine may not have reached its intended height on detonation". Victim No.2 was not significantly injured despite being less than two metres from the blast. Victim No.1, another deminer working 31 metres from the accident, was struck by a single fragment in the neck causing fatal injuries.


Ddasaccident038, Hd-Aid May 1995

Ddasaccident038, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Work began on 18th May 1995 and one side was cleared that day, with a POMZ-2 located and destroyed. On 19th May 1995 the section started clearing the other side. At about 10:00 a mine exploded in a cleared lane about two minutes after a deminer walked there. No injuries occurred. Work continued and a further three mines were found using detectors. On completion the victim went to destroy the mines.


Ddasaccident039, Hd-Aid Apr 1995

Ddasaccident039, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 09:15 Victim No.1 was injured by stepping on a mine "in a recently cleared area while engaged in clearance duties….". Victim No.2 was also injured. "Both men were wearing protective clothing – cotton overalls, leather boots and protective eye glasses" [sic]. The men were treated on site and evacuated at 11:24 by air to Maputo airport. (The requested plane landed in the wrong place and lost radio contact: a second plane had to be sent.)


Ddasaccident040, Hd-Aid Mar 1995

Ddasaccident040, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the day of the accident the demining group's ex-pat country Manager went in to investigate the accident of the previous day (7th March 1995) and confirmed that the mine involved had been a PMN. He found parts of the device that he thought indicated that there had been two mines, but those parts were lost during subsequent events. When he went into the area a second time he spent ten minutes examining the area, then called out for people to gather together for a briefing. Immediately thereafter he was seriously injured by an explosion [no reason why he went …


Ddasaccident003, Hd-Aid Mar 1995

Ddasaccident003, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At approximately 11:20 the victim discovered a mine. This was his third that day and the first day that he had found any at that site. Instead of informing his Section Leader as he was required to do, he investigated it on his own. "For some reason the mine (or perhaps mines) detonated leaving him very seriously injured". [See Medical report.]The victim was casevaced by helicopter to Quelimane hospital arriving one hour after the accident occurred. He died at 16:30 that day. The death certificate gave "haemorrhage" as the cause of death. The helicopter was deemed fortuitous, and some suggestions …


Ddasaccident041, Hd-Aid Jan 1995

Ddasaccident041, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Deputy Country Director was interviewed by the researcher on 18th November 1998 and later send a one page summary of the accident and two others (dated 01/11/95). He said that the victim had initiated a PMN mine at approximately 12:45 whilst prodding with his three-pronged fork. At the time an internal investigation [not made available] concluded that he had not used his detector in that area prior to the accident, which was against instructions from his supervisors. “If he had been using the detector the accident would probably have been avoided.”


Ddasaccident042, Hd-Aid Jan 1995

Ddasaccident042, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim set off an OZM-72 bounding fragmentation mine at about 12:27, and was killed. An internal investigation concluded that he had been rolling up a trip-wire as he was working his way towards the mine. This contravened safety procedures, according to which deminers should not touch trip-wires at all but should call a supervisor.