Warhead found in grass beside restaurant had destructive range of 100 meters
Navy base checking serial number
Boonlua Chatree
Bomb disposal experts from Sattahip Naval Base were called in to defuse a live warhead that had a destructive radius of 100 meters and which was found in long grass behind a restaurant during the evening of August 7.
Bomb disposal experts from Sattahip Naval Base inspect the old and rusty, but still live rocket before disabling it.
Viroj Rimprasert, the 39-year-old owner of Jakajan Jim Jum in Soi Full Love Inn, off Central Road reported to police that a man he had hired to mow the grass next to his restaurant had found the 1.5-meter, 20-kilogram missile. Police rushed to the scene where they found that the warhead had been moved into the restaurant.
The officers cordoned off the area at a 500-meter radius and called in bomb disposal experts from Sattahip Naval Base.
The missile was found to be a high-capacity destructive warhead. On the side was emblazoned the serial number “2.75 in. rocket motor mk. 40 mod. 3 fz lot 1 – 3 fzd 84”.
Viroj told officers that the area at the side of the restaurant was in a mess as the grass was long and people threw their rubbish there, so he hired someone to clean it up. The warhead was discovered in the grass and after inspecting it he notified the police.
Bomb disposal experts removed the missile from the restaurant and took it to Soi Tat Mai behind Chaviang Resort for disabling, a job that took five hours to complete.
Warrant Officer Somporn Kaanvicha, head of the bomb disposal division said the missile had a destructive radius of 100 meters and could have exploded at any time. He added that the warhead would now be taken for total destruction and the serial number will be checked to find out who left the weapon in Pattaya.
