FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT
PRESS RELEASE
26 May 2021
Unexploded landmine successfully disposed of at Yorke Bay
The government can confirm, that at 10am on Thursday 20 May, the Royal Falkland Islands Police responded to reports of a potential unexploded ordnance on Yorke Bay. They attended the site and established a rolling cordon to secure the area; following this they contacted the Joint Operations Command Centre to request support from the Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, who arrived on site at midday. The Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Disposal team confirmed that the device was an unexploded Italian landmine, laid by Argentine forces in 1982, and likely would have been washed out to sea due to coastal erosion and then returned onshore following stormy weather. The device was disposed of without incident and the EOD and RFIP then stood down.
MLA Mark Pollard, Chair of the Legislative Assembly, said: “I would like to thank RFIP and the BFSAI EOD team for their swift action in dealing with this incident. Despite the successful completion of our very rigorous demining programme, we were advised by Safelane Global throughout the process, that there is the potential for devices laid in minefields close to water to have been washed away by tidal action, such as at Yorke Bay. Fortunately, explosive items which have been underwater for many years are very unlikely to still function, however we have a robust reporting system in place and will mobilise the necessary support to deal with any devices that are found.
I understand that when situations like this arise, it can cause people to feel anxious, however this should not undermine confidence in the hard work undertaken during the demining programme. Thankfully, these situations are rare and, as demonstrated on this occasion, people will follow the drill and contact the police in the event that they come across anything suspicious. I hope that this will not stop our community from continuing to enjoy our outdoor spaces, but instead reminds us all how fortunate we are to have benefited from a programme that has given us back our home.”
The Falkland Islands Demining Programme was established in 2009 and officially concluded with a local event to ‘Reclaim the Beach’ at Yorke Bay on 14 November. This followed decades of work, undertaken by around 240 people in total, and which made safe an area which is the equivalent of over 28,800 football pitches.
If any member of the public comes across any suspect items then they are asked to contact the RFIP on 999, providing the position if possible or using the What3Words mobile app.
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ENDS