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Unexploded Bombs Discovered in Burma


 Burma police officers use a torch light as they examine the scene of a small explosion in which two young men were injured, on the outskirts of Rangoon, Burma, Oct. 13, 2013.
Burma police officers use a torch light as they examine the scene of a small explosion in which two young men were injured, on the outskirts of Rangoon, Burma, Oct. 13, 2013.
Police in Burma say they have found at least two unexploded bombs following explosions that killed two people and injured several others in recent days.

Authorities say one unexploded bomb was found Monday in Mandalay, while another was discovered in Rangoon.

Two people were killed on Friday when an explosion ripped through a guesthouse in the town of Taungoo, about 200 kilometers north of Rangoon. Two blasts in Rangoon on Sunday injured several people.

A police spokesman in Rangoon said the device found Monday was successfully defused before it could go off.

"It was found by a janitor at local restaurant and then we were informed about the discovery. Experts examined and removed it. Security in Rangoon has been beefed up two to three times higher than before," he said.

No one has taken responsibility for the blasts and police say they do not yet have any suspects.

Authorities are asking the public to report any suspicious packages.

A resident in Rangoon, who did not wish to be named, told VOA's Burmese service that the bombs are a concern.

"I’m worried and feel sad to hear such incident. I think it’s certainly a destructive act for the country where changes are taking place," she said.

Small scale bombings were common during Burma's decades long military rule, but have become rare since the country started opening up two years ago.

This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Burmese service.
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