A 16-year-old boy lost a leg to a land mine on Saturday when he and nine other would-be migrant workers tried to illegally cross into Thailand from Banteay Meanchey province to look for farming work, police said on Sunday.
Suon Bora, deputy commander of border police unit 911 in Banteay Meanchey province, said Chrok Set stepped on the Russian-made PMN anti-personnel mine at about 1 p.m. in Poipet City’s Phsar Kandal commune.
“They were using an illegal corridor to get into Thailand, but they couldn’t go forward, so they decided to come back and lost their way in the forest, stepping on a mine,” Mr. Bora said, adding that the explosion blew off the lower part of the teenager’s right leg and injured both of his hands.
Mr. Set’s companions were allowed to return home to Siem Reap province, he said.
Heng Ratana, director-general of the Cambodian Mine Action Center, said the mine was likely left over from fighting between 1985 and 1987, adding that the area had not yet been cleared.
