19 • 08 • 2020
An Unexploded Warfare Charge has been Found at a Mining Site
Unexploded wartime ordnance is not an uncommon find in Latvian forests, especially in the areas where battles have taken place or where trenches and support positions have been made in the past. When performing various excavation works at mineral extraction sites and forest infrastructure facilities, dangerous wartime evidence is often found; such discoveries are immediately reported to the responsible services by the employees of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM).
While arranging geodetic points, surveyors found an ammunition charge at the mining site “Karogi” managed by “LVM Zemes dzīles”, located in Staicele Rural Territory, West Vidzeme Region. A pit about 1x1 metre large and 30 cm deep was dug to reinforce the geodetic point.
“Having recognized the explosive object, the surveyors threw it into the water body of the quarry territory. The police were called to the scene to search the area and neutralize the explosive. Searching for the charge under water complicated the search work. No ammunition was found in the found, the charge was neutralized,” says Kārlis Volfs, LVM Zemes dzīles Production Manager.
According to sappers, the map of the LIDAR earth's relief model shows clearly the areas of explosion where projectile demining has been performed.
LVM reminds that when finding any explosive objects, in no case you should take them in your hands; you should stop the equipment, retreat to a safe distance, find a cover, and contact the State Police (by calling 110 or 112). The neutralization of ammunition and additional search of the territory will be performed by the National Armed Forces.
This summer, explosive objects were also found in Valmiera Forest District of the West Vidzeme Region, during the construction of the new Gruzde road. In turn, in 2018, dangerous historical evidence was found at the mining site “Svente I”.
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