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Ddasaccident333, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident333, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
No formal Accident report was on record in the MAC offices in June 2001. From other papers it is clear that an excavation accident occurred at 10:25. The Victim was prodding and detonated a PMN mine.
Ddasaccident310, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident310, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim was a Section Leader who had been conducting his duties for three hours when, at 08:45 a deminer informed the victim “that there was a strange object in his excavation lane”. The Section Leader tried to excavate the object but had some difficulty “seeing it clearly because his visor was dirty and scratched. So he raised his visor halfway to see better, than grasped the object with the thumb and forefingers of his left hand and tried to pull and pry the object from the earth with the trowel”. The object detonated.
Ddasaccident327, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident327, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The [Demining group] base informed [demining group Programme Manager] that Morina #2 clearance have started. Uncontrolled explosion occurs in Morina 2 minefield, 1 deminer injured.
Ddasaccident309, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident309, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
On the day of the accident the site-log recorded that work started at 06:30 and a change-over took place every 30 minutes thereafter. The accident occurred during a change-over period. While standing up from a kneeling position at 10:45, Victim No.1 lost his balance and fell forwards detonation a Type-72 antipersonnel blast mine [probably with his hand]. Victim No.1’s partner and Section Leader were standing too close to him at the time.
Ddasaccident341, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident341, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
[The Victim] was the first one to work in the critical working lane, while supported by deminer No 2. At 08.30 explosion was heard and all the works stopped within all three teams.
Ddasaccident300, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident300, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The deminer identified the reading within the confirmed row of mines. The deminer acted on this reading using excavation procedures. The mines destroyed and marked within the first row were R2M2. The predominate mine in this area of the Cordon is R2M2. The deminer stated he was excavating a reading when the mine detonated. There was physical evidence of excavation and water being used.
Ddasaccident313, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident313, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
On 7th July 2000, the victim was continuing his clearance along the wire. The victim started work in the new lane and removed a metal bracket and piece of the barbed-wire. He then did a further two check sweeps with his detector before starting excavation with his enxada (digging tool, [hoe]). On the 3rd scrape (moving from left to right) an unplanned explosion occurred which threw the victim directly backwards into the safe area behind.
Ddasaccident344, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident344, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
[Victim No.2] and [Victim No.1] marked the place with a red-top picket 1.2m high (to be found later in the vicinity of the accident spot) and asked [the Local witness] to help them identify the mine. [The Local witness] refused and went to [RS MAC Ops Officer No.2], who handled VALLON, trying to locate where other mines are. 2-3 minutes after he left the site of located mine, there was an explosion at the crossing of trenches.
Ddasaccident354, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident354, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The injured deminer was overzealous in the use of his hand prodding drills and procedures, because he might have thought that the VS-50 mine did not contain any detonators the same as the majority of other VS-50 mines found in this minefield. I conclude that the injured deminer was kneeling right over the mine when the mine exploded or he failed to wear his protective equipment, especially his helmet and visor, correctly as per Northern Iraq Standard Operating Procedures.
Ddasaccident314, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident314, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
On 7th June 2000 the victim completed 5m of clearance which were checked by the Team Supervisor. The victim then went on to clear a further 1.3m before indicating that he had located a mine. The mine was lying on its side 30cm from the leg of the tower. The Team Supervisor examined the mine before tasking the Trainee Supervisor to move the mine to the demolition pit, during the 12:50-13:00 break period. The Team Supervisor observed the victim restarting excavation then began walking away from the tower. When the Team Supervisor was 17m away, an unplanned explosion occurred.
Ddasaccident269, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident269, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
At 10:20 The victim was using a "Schonstedt GA 72-cd Locator in his "clearance area" and got a signal. He moved the grass from the area and "noticed a silver coloured metallic object visible on the surface". He was moving a stone to investigate this "suspected part of a BLU 97" when at 10:20 it detonated. He suffered injury to the index finger of his right hand. He was wearing his PPE according to SOPs. [The PPE was not described or photographed but would have included a visor and flak-jacket as required in that theatre.]
Ddasaccident274, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident274, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred after the victim had just changed roles with his partner in the working lane. He used the detector and after a few minutes, he detected a sound and began to cut the grass lower. It was when he started to use the spade (trowel) that the detonation occurred. The deminer was not injured.
Ddasaccident298, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident298, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
At the time of the accident [the] deminer had identified a reading within a row of mines in the Cordon Sanitaire Minefield. Ground conditions were favourable with relatively level ground and not very hard but with small loose stones. The deminer was wearing full PPE including gloves in both hands for arm protection. After identifying a reading, the deminer pinpointed and started excavating. From his own statement, he had already located the mine and was further exposing it when it went off. He further states that a rock rolled back into the hole he was excavating and landed on a …
Ddasaccident337, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident337, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The demining team had been working at the site since February. The Victim was working in a breaching lane and set off a PMN mine.
Ddasaccident276, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident276, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The report stated that at “12:50 on 15 April 2000, [the victim] detonated a mine whilst conducting clearance in the Cordon Sanitaire Minefield”. When the casualty was recovered from the minefield and tended by the paramedic, it was found that he was conscious and had sustained only minor injuries.” The victim arrived at the site medical unit at 13:05 and the field doctor arrived “immediately afterwards”. The victim sustained superficial burns to his left “arm and forearm. A minor contusion also developed on his left wrist.” [Apparently, he was not taken to a hospital.]
Ddasaccident336, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident336, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The site of the accident was indicated by two dogs and the two victims moved forward to investigate. Victim No.1 began to excavate at the site with his pick. After some time he changed with Victim No.2. Without waiting for Victim No.1 to withdraw, Victim No.2 set to work with the pick and “immediately” initiated an M19 mine.
Ddasaccident318, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident318, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred while carrying out a Survey Level 2 at Save minefield and the first deminer was tasked to make a cut into the minefield to a visible anti-group mine. He removed a piece of metal, then checked again with his detector. Having got another reading, (heard by his Section Commander who was 10m away) he started to excavate with his “shovel”. He hit another PMN which detonated.
Ddasaccident270, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident270, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim initiated a mine at 13:10 while he was prodding to investigate a detector reading. His visor and apron "absorbed the blast", with the visor being torn off and landing in an uncleared area 8m away. The prodder had not been found at the time the report was written [it was found and photographed later].
Ddasaccident275, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident275, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim was continuing the breach begun by the earlier victim. He worked a further ten metres and checked the lane with his detector as he walked back towards the safe area. As he passed the site of the earlier accident, he got a slight detector reading and began to investigate with his prod. The mine detonated.
Ddasaccident317, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident317, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident took place in a mined area 30k North West of Beira along the Beira-Mwanza road. The victim was told by the Deputy Platoon Commander to take a hoe and a garden spade to the place marked with four red sticks and dig it out to find the metal that was making the detector signal. The victim started to dig at the place. He was not wearing protective equipment. After digging for ten minutes, at 06:20 the hoe he was using detonated a Type-72a mine [both 72a and 72b are mentioned in the varied papers].
Ddasaccident316, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident316, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred in a defensive ring of mines laid during 1987. The ring formed part of the protection to Marrumbene Villa. The victim’s partner had marked a signal from his metal detector. The victim went forward and started to probe the ground. The mine was at an angle in the ground. At 11:45 he probed onto and detonated a mine.
Ddasaccident305, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident305, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred in a minefield called Palkie that was laid in 1970s. The contamination was such that a metal detector could not be used in some places and a “clearance by excavation” method was used. In one place where a shell had dropped, the victim was excavating using a Russian bayonet when he initiated a mine.
Ddasaccident357, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident357, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident had taken place at 1245hrs; the injured deminer arrived at Emergency hospital in Sulymania at 1400hrs and was admitted. The prodder which he had been using was badly damaged and had taken on the shape of a half moon. This indicated that the point of the prodder had detonated the mine.
Ddasaccident256, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident256, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim was engaged in widening a breaching lane at 13:40 when the accident occurred. He was not using approved marking methods [using none] and the accident occurred 3 metres in front of his base stick. His equipment had been removed from the site but witnesses confirmed that the victim's visor and prodder were some metres behind the victim [visor not worn] and that the handle of his trowel was a metre from the accident site
Ddasaccident260, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident260, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim was cutting an exploratory lane "to identify the direction of the Plough share mines". This appears to have been done by identifying a picket (post on which the plough share mines were originally placed) and working towards the next. The victim missed the next picket and returned to a place 30 metres from the last picket. "This is the normal drill to be used when row direction is lost". The victim did not use the correct marking and clearance procedures. He was investigating a detector reading at 08:15 when the accident occurred.
Ddasaccident582, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident582, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
A deminer detonated a mine while about to undertake prodding/excavation of a metal-detector indication. It is thought that the light plastic cross used as a marker for the metal-detector indication got moved by the wind and he knelt directly onto the mine.
Ddasaccident258, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident258, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators concluded that the victim was working correctly and was excavating a detector reading rather than prodding because of "high gravel content" in the ground. They found that "sufficient water was on site and used". They believed that the mine may have been in a tilted position. They added that the victim "was protected from serious injury by wearing protective clothing correctly".
Ddasaccident259, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident259, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators concluded that the victim was working correctly and was excavating a detector reading. They found that his visor and apron were "covered with mud" and his deformed trowel was found lying about a metre from the detonation. The soil around the hole was still wet, showing that the victim has used enough water to soften the ground. Beneath the point of detonation was "a deep burrow, probably dug by mice". "Detonation signs" were only visible on one side of the "blast hole".
Ddasaccident257, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident257, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators concluded that the victim was carrying out an excavation drill correctly. A high "gravel" content in the soil made excavation the correct drill to use. His blast apron was covered with mud, which was taken as proof that he was using water to soften the ground. The investigators thought it likely that the mine was unusually sensitive due to having spent "more than 20 years in the ground". They thought it possible that the spring firing mechanism was already partly depressed.
Ddasaccident261, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident261, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim was carrying out a normal excavation drill at 10:45 when a mine, "suspected R2M2…functioned" and he suffered a slight cut and some bruising to his left hand.