Vietnam War-Era Artillery Shell Explodes; 2 Dead

HANOI, Vietnam – A Vietnam War-era artillery shell has exploded in central Vietnam, killing two people and wounding two others.

Police officer Nguyen Thanh Hoai says a man who was collecting the shell for scrap metal on the side of a highway in Binh Thuan province died at the scene following Monday's explosion.

He says shrapnel killed a passer-by who was sitting on the back of a motorbike, while her companion was injured.

He said Tuesday that shrapnel also injured someone in a passing truck.

Vietnamese government figures show unexploded ordnance have killed more than 42,000 people since the war ended in 1975.