Minister confirms explosion was bomb

Minister confirms explosion was bomb

VIENTIANE (AP): Laos's foreign minister suggested on Tuesday that an explosion this week in the capital was caused by a bomb left over from the Vietnam War, but said it was not aimed at an ASEAN-EU ministerial conference.

The bomb went off Sunday night when cleaners sprucing up an open area accidentally touched it, Minister of Foreign Affairs Somsavat Lengsavad said.

The explosion occurred as ministers and senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union gathered here for a two-day conference, the biggest diplomatic event hosted by Laos, which ended on Tuesday.

Still, it raised security concerns as at least nine other unexplained bombings have rocked the capital Vientiane since late March, killing at least one woman and injuring dozens of people