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World desk2 min

What to Do If You Find a Suspected Landmine or Unexploded Ordnance

If you find a suspected landmine or unexploded ordnance, stay away, carefully retrace your route, and report its location from a safe place. Let trained authorities handle it.
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Do not approach, touch, move, or disturb it. Carefully leave by the route you used, then report the location from a safe place to local police or the appropriate emergency authority. Do not go back to identify, photograph, or mark the object.

What to do, in order

  1. Stop and keep away. You do not need to identify the object. Munitions can be difficult to recognize, may be buried or partly visible, and should be treated as dangerous regardless of apparent age, size, or condition.
  2. Leave carefully. Retrace the route you used where possible. Do not run, touch or disturb the object, or investigate the surrounding area. If you suspect you are already in an area contaminated by explosives, do not attempt to find a way through it yourself; avoid further movement toward the suspected hazard and contact the appropriate authority as soon as you can do so safely.
  3. Report it from safety. Contact local police or the designated emergency service for that location. Give the best location you can based on what you already know and a general description of what you saw. Do not return to improve your information.

What to tell the authorities

Share the location and any appearance details you observed without approaching the object again. If you are on managed property or at a work site, notify the manager, supervisor, property owner, or site contact as appropriate, as well as the police or designated authority. In Australia, Defence guidance directs people to inform police, who can arrange for Defence experts to attend.

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Use the emergency number that applies where you are. U.S. and Canadian government guidance refers to 911 or local police; 911 is not a universal number. Follow local instructions if they differ.

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Why you should not try to identify or mark it

A suspected landmine or other unexploded ordnance is not safe to handle just because it looks old, damaged, small, or familiar. Do not kick, lift, open, strike, collect, or move it. Do not use a metal detector, tools, gloves, or marking supplies to investigate it. Even taking a closer look or returning to mark the spot could bring you nearer to danger.

Some official guidance allows noting or marking a general location if it can be done safely. For an untrained finder, the safer course is to rely on observations already made, leave the area, and tell authorities what you know. Do not approach to place a marker.

Who should handle the object

Identification, survey, and disposal belong to trained explosive-ordnance and mine-action professionals. The UN Mine Action Service describes clearance as specialist mine-action work, and Canada’s Department of National Defence says trained explosive ordnance disposal professionals handle UXO identification and disposal. Leave the assessment and response to those teams.

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How official advice varies by location

The basic response is consistent—stay away, retreat, and report—but the reporting contact and local procedure depend on where the object is found. U.S. Department of War 3Rs guidance calls the steps Recognize, Retreat, and Report, and gives U.S.-specific advice to call 911 and tell police what was seen and where. Canadian Department of National Defence guidance says to leave by the way you came and contact 911 or local police. Australian Defence guidance directs people to inform police and notes that site contacts such as a property owner, park ranger, contractor, or supervisor may also be relevant. Follow the current instructions of the authorities responsible for your location.

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