72 land mines found on beach

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A member of the police bomb disposal unit showing several land mines that were among 72 found at the Sri Pantai beach in Mersing yesterday. (Inset) Fisherman Abd Manap Ab Rauf, who along with his brother, Zaini, stumbled upon the mines.

MERSING: Seventy-two land mines, each measuring 18cm by 8cm, believed to be from the World War 2 era, were found at the Sri Pantai beach here on Sunday.

Mersing district police chief Deputy Superintendent Mohd Nor Rasid said the police's bomb disposal unit had detonated all the mines.

"We hope the public will for now refrain from going to the beach as our bomb disposal personnel are still combing the area for more mines. Those found so far have been detonated."

Two fishermen looking for seashells stumbled upon several land mines before lodging a police report.

Abd Manap Ab Rauf, 61, and his brother Zaini, 56, said they were lucky that the rusty round-shaped devices did not go off as they had prodded on them.

Upon realising that they were land mines, they lodged the report at the Mersing police station.

Abd Manap said they found at least 30 mines.

Abd Manap of Kampung Sri Pantai, said he and his brother always scoured the beach for seashells.

"I believe the land mines had been laid buried under the sand since WW2," he said.