By Belize Live News Staff: Police and BDF bomb experts are investigating the death of Jose Valencia, a 25-year-old welder who was killed in a powerful explosion on Saturday afternoon in San Jose Palmar Village, Orange Walk.
According to reports, Valencia was working on a metal object believed to be an old military training bomb when it suddenly detonated, killing him on the spot. The blast was so intense that it shattered nearby windows and was heard over a mile away.
Investigators say Valencia had been hired by former PUP area representative Dave Burgos to install the device as an ornamental piece on his property. Burgos told police he had obtained three of the old bombs from a man in Carmelita Village, thinking they were inert relics.
Following the explosion, the BDF Bomb Squad arrived at the scene and found two additional similar devices, which were safely secured. Police say the object that exploded appeared to have been part of a batch of old British military ordnance left behind decades ago when the Crooked Tree Pine Ridge area served as a live-fire training range.
Officials are warning the public to report any suspected explosive devices to the police immediately and not to tamper with them. Investigators are now working to determine how the bomb remained active for so many years and whether other unexploded devices may still exist in northern Belize.
