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Ddasaccident022, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident022, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred during the manual clearance phase. Victim No.1 was clearing a lane and pulled a trip wire with his detector head, so initiating an OZM-4. The detonation "blew off both upper and lower limbs" and he suffered fragment wounds to his head and chest, killing him instantly. Victim No.2 was hit in the shoulder by a fragment.
Ddasaccident249, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident249, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that he detected a reading and put his helmet on to prod. He could find nothing but the detector still signalled so he prodded again and found a fragment. The detector still signalled and he was prodding for the third time when the mine detonated at 08:15. He received "minor injuries", his visor was damaged and his bayonet lost. The victim walked unaided to the safe area.
Ddasaccident017, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident017, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
At the time of the accident the victim had just changed roles with his partner so it is not sure which of them failed to locate the mine. He was about 15 metres from the pylon when at 11:57 there was a detonation. The victim's leg was torn off at "boot level". After the accident and a positive identification of the victim, the medic gave first aid. At 12:11 the victim was taken to Maputo Central Hospital, arriving at 13:30.
Ddasaccident163, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident163, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Signed by an expatriate specialist and dated 5th September 1998, the report stated that demining had started at the site on 10th June 1998 and fourteen Type 69s and two PMNs had been recovered. The victim had worked for 40 minutes on the morning of the accident and in that time had cleared 4m and located and excavated four metal fragments. He was prodding to investigate another signal from his "Ebinger 420H" when at 07:50 he detonated a PMN.
Ddasaccident246, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident246, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators decided that the victim was exposing a detector reading and found several tin-cans. He continued prodding but became tired so changed hands and prodded with his left hand. A mine detonated at 10:00. The victim suffered minor right-hand injury and dust in his eyes. He was treated on site and taken to the ICRC hospital in Kandahar.
Ddasaccident244, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident244, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators found that the victim was investigating a detector reading in a squatting position and using a pick. He had used two markers. He "finished one layer" [presumably slicing layers from the ground] and rechecked with the detector. The reading was still there so he started excavating again without placing any markers. He hit a mine at 07:45.
Ddasaccident242, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident242, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators decided that the victim was working with a detector beside a stream when he got a signal. He marked it with two marks, one at the centre and one 15cm behind it, then he squatted to prod with his bayonet. He detonated a mine and received injuries to his face and chest.
Ddasaccident241, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident241, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators decided that the victim was working with a detector when he got a signal from a fragment that was visible, half buried. He squatted to remove it with his bayonet but as he did so initiated a mine that was under the fragment. His visor "was not properly down" and he failed to centre the reading point and approach it at the angle dictated by the SOPs. The victim suffered injuries to his hands and his face, the latter including a lacerated lip and damaged teeth. The victim walked to the safe area.
Ddasaccident239, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident239, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the ditch had contained many mines thought to have been brought into it by heavy rains in the past. The victim found a detector reading. He put on his helmet and started to prod in a squatting position. He detonated the mine with his bayonet at 09:15 (started work at 06:00).
Ddasaccident115, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident115, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
A preliminary accident report from the demining group simply recorded that "while prodding he was injured due to a PMN mine explosion". The victim suffered an amputated thumb with other severe hand injuries, also minor arm, legs, chest, and face injuries.
Ddasaccident119, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident119, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The deminer and his partner were unable to use detectors (because they were "reading continuously" and so were prodding and excavating the area. Photographs of the area showed flat, dry, agricultural land. The victim located a PMN and reported it to his Section Leader" who told him to prepare a charge for its destruction. He lit the safety fuse and "rushed towards the safe area". As he did so he stepped into an uncleared area. A mine detonated and "the victim lost his right foot and got serious injuries to his left foot" at 11:10.
Ddasaccident018, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident018, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
It was while excavating with a "demining trowel" [see Analysis] at 08:30 that he detonated an anti-personnel mine, leaving him with "slight" injuries to his left hand and right thigh (it is presumed that the latter was caused by the handle of the "trowel"). The victim was blown onto his back and the trowel was found much further away. The victim was approximately 0.8m from the mine, and the crater was taken to indicate that it was buried to a depth of about 20cm.
Ddasaccident019, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident019, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred near a high voltage pylon to the south of Moamba town and approximately 22 km from the demining group’s camp. The pylon was mined during the armed conflict and a barbed wire fence was put up to prevent the entry of people and animals. Outside this fence were other mines of the PMN, PMN-2 and PMD-6 types.
Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the deminer was "excavating" to investigate a detector reading when the accident occurred. He was using a shovel to do so. Investigators were unable to visit the accident site [due to deminer mobility and seasonal redeployment], so the report relied on interviews and written statements.
Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the deminer was "excavating" to investigate a detector reading when the accident occurred. He was using a shovel to do so. Investigators were unable to visit the accident site [due to deminer mobility and seasonal redeployment], so the report relied on interviews and written statements.
Ddasaccident128, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident128, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim said that the dogs checked a leash length (8m) and both dogs indicated a suspect point. The point was investigated and the fuse of a mortar was found. He was checking the second leash at a distance of 11 metres from the first when he stepped on a mine at 11:10.
Ddasaccident007, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident007, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the victim used a "long handled shovel" while investigating a detector reading. He was digging by placing his foot on the shovel when the mine went off. The proximity to the power lines made the detectors signal continually in some places. The density of sub-surface roots made the demining group feel it was unsuitable for manual prodding.
Ddasaccident240, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident240, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the victim was working in a "breaching lane" when he got a detector reading. He marked the point and started to prod. He found some old food tins and continued prodding. His right hand became tired so he moved his bayonet to his left hand just before the mine went off at 08:40. The victim lost his left eye, two fingers of his left hand and had minor injuries to his right hand and body.
Ddasaccident252, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident252, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the victim was clearing a lane when he found a detector reading, marked it, and started to excavate with a pick. He hit the mine with the pick at 09:35 and sustained injuries to his hands and right shoulder.
Ddasaccident131, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident131, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the victim was working on the ridge of a stony hill [photographs showed it was very steep and rocky]. He was given permission to leave the area to urinate and went into an area declared clear by a dog survey team. The investigators expressed the view that the area was unsuitable for dogs to clear because it was too steep for them to "sit" when indicating a signal.
Ddasaccident132, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident132, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the victim was investigating a reading in a pile of soil deposited by the back-hoe when the mine went off. The investigators reported that the victim claimed to have been using a bayonet but that his lack of injury made them think this unlikely.
Ddasaccident134, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident134, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that Victim No.1 was investigating a pile of spoil deposited by the back-hoe when he got a continuous detector reading and started excavating with a long handled shovel. He detonated a mine. The mine was identified as a PMN (by "found fragments").
Ddasaccident135, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident135, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators decided that the victim found a detector reading, marked it, and started to excavate with a pick – contravening a UN MAC directive to stop using a pick for excavation. The mine was identified as a PMN (from "found fragments").
Ddasaccident136, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident136, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
No investigation on behalf of the UN MAC was made available. An initial letter informing the UN MAC of the accident was found. The following summarises its content.
Ddasaccident009, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident009, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim had been a deminer for seven years. It was ten days since he had last attended a revision course, and two days since he was last on leave. The ground being cleared was described as the medium-hard bed of a dry lake. The victim's bayonet was destroyed and the visor damaged. The investigators claimed to have found fragments to confirm that the mine involved was a PMN.
Ddasaccident139, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident139, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators checked the Team's detectors and found five to be not "in proper working condition". The victim used one of these detectors. At the end of the working day the victim was taking his equipment to the store and either stepped into an uncleared area or stepped on a missed mine (due to the faulty detectors).
Ddasaccident139, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident139, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators concluded that the victim was feeling unwell and had requested leave, so he might not have been concentrating when he stepped into an uncleared area. He might also have stepped on a missed mine.
Ddasaccident116, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident116, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred at 11:15 in an area that was undulating and steep with dry earth and rock. The victim was investigating a detector reading with a prodder when the mine exploded. He suffered minor blast injuries to his chin and small fragment injuries to his right hand, his right thigh and knee joint. His helmet and visor took most of the blast. The victim was blown back and rolled several metres down a slope. He was evacuated, with two deminers of the same blood group, to the "Emergency" Hospital.
Ddasaccident140, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident140, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators decided that the victim was working with the detector and got a reading. He placed one mark and squatted to prod without wearing his helmet correctly. His bayonet was “destroyed” in the accident.
Ddasaccident141, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident141, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators determined that the victim had got a detector reading, marked it and then started to excavate using a shovel and without wearing his helmet and visor. They said that during the investigation people pretended the victim has been marking the cleared area when the accident occurred but in the original accident report it was mentioned that the accident occurred during prodding – the investigators decided that "this is their pretext to confuse investigation".