ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - Almost 30 square kilometres will have been cleared of mines in Croatia this year, or by some six kilometres higher as against the combed area last year. In 2000 there was a smaller number of accidents and
casualties compared to 1999, Croatian Mine Action Centre (HCR) representatives said at a news conference they held last Tuesday. They reiterated that their plans were to remove land mines from Croatia by 2010. Since the beginning of this year 13 accidents have happened claiming lives of seven persons, while 13 people sustained injuries. 1999 saw 37 blasts in which 22 persons were killed, the HCR Council's head, Drazen Budisa, told reporters. The largest areas were combed in the counties of Zadar, Sisak-Moslavina and Osijek-Baranja. The entire job cost approximately 99 million kuna. Funds were earmarked from 12 sources, and the biggest amounts of money were ensured from a loan granted by the W
ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - Almost 30 square kilometres will have been
cleared of mines in Croatia this year, or by some six kilometres
higher as against the combed area last year. In 2000 there was a
smaller number of accidents and casualties compared to 1999,
Croatian Mine Action Centre (HCR) representatives said at a news
conference they held last Tuesday.
They reiterated that their plans were to remove land mines from
Croatia by 2010.
Since the beginning of this year 13 accidents have happened
claiming lives of seven persons, while 13 people sustained
injuries. 1999 saw 37 blasts in which 22 persons were killed, the
HCR Council's head, Drazen Budisa, told reporters.
The largest areas were combed in the counties of Zadar, Sisak-
Moslavina and Osijek-Baranja.
The entire job cost approximately 99 million kuna. Funds were
earmarked from 12 sources, and the biggest amounts of money were
ensured from a loan granted by the World Bank, budgetary funds and
the International de-mining fund. Budisa cited Sweden and Austria
as countries that gave donations for this purpose, but could not say
the exact sum of the donations.
He said it was necessary to raise the issue of the mine clearance at
every occasion including the forthcoming Zagreb summit of the EU
member-states and countries in this region.
The HCR head, Damir Gorseta, said between one million and a million
and 200,000 land mines had been planted throughout Croatia, while
there were records on the existence of some 270,000 land mines.
Efforts to solve this problem would be facilitated if rough drafts
on where those explosive devices were infested could be obtained
from Serb returnees, Gorseta added.
(hina) ms