Living off UXOs   A little boy sits on a large bomb shell in Tan Hiep village.   Tran Van Ngac from Tan Hiep village looks happy with a 35kg metal piece in his hands.   Since as early as 7am every day, dozens of people from Tan Hiep village gather at hills situated in Hai Thai commune, Gio Linh district in Quang Tri to search for UXOs.   5They use metal detectors to search for underground UXOs.   Tran Thi Chia has been raising her three children alone over the last 12 years after her husband was killed by an exploded UXO item in 2001. (Tuoi Tre) A small village in the central province of Quang Tri is dubbed “a village of risk takers” because most of the villagers earn their livelihood by searching for unexploded ordnance or UXOs that the Vietnam War left behind. Tan Hiep used to be a fishing village along Hieu River in Cam Tuyen commune but now 200 among 230 families there search for explosive remnants for sale. In late 1990s, many villagers began buying metal detectors to search for underground UXOs. The explosive items are defused before being sold to metal scrap shops.  It is said that a villager once sold a large bomb shell for VND130 million (US$6,165). However, at least 21 people lost their lives to this job. “We are aware of the dangers. We have no stable jobs and no land so we do it to earn money to support the education of our children” – villager Tran Van Thach told Tuoi Tre. TUOI TRE