Cambodia: Thousands of war-era explosives found buried at high school

In the past four decades, more than 64,000 people have been killed after stepping on landmines in Cambodia

A high school in north-eastern Cambodia has been forced to close temporarily after thousands of unexploded munitions were discovered.

Cambodia remains one of the world's most heavily mined countries, 48 years after the end of its brutal civil war.

At that time, the Queen Kosomak High School in Kratie province was being used as a military station.

Photos show tons of rusty explosives neatly stacked in rows, with grenades and anti-tank launchers among them.

In total, more than 2,000 pieces of ordnance was discovered over three days - Heng Ratana, director general of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre, told AFP news agency.

He said the munitions were found when the ground was being cleared to expand a garden, and if the whole school was cleared, more would likely be dug up.

"It is a huge stroke of luck for the students. These explosive devices are easy to explode if someone dug into the ground and hit them," Mr Heng said.

Students were told to stay away from the school until the clean up was complete, which was expected to take two days.

Cambodia's eight-year civil war ended in 1975, however it continue to suffer from the aftermath.

Landmines that are scattered across the country have killed more than 64,000 people, while 25,000 amputees have been recorded since 1979, according to The Halo Trust.

The Cambodian government has vowed to clear all landmines and unexploded artillery by 2025.

A deminer stands next to some of the thousands of unexploded ordnance