Missile Unearthed at Site of Victor Galvez Stadium in San Ignacio Town

A mortar is a military weapon that fires explosive projectiles or bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. For about three weeks now, construction works have been ongoing on the Victor Galvez Stadium in San Ignacio Town and the workmen on site unearthed one such missile within the construction site. The San Ignacio Police were alerted and the Belize Defense Force have since been called in. They have determined that it belonged to the British military and likely used for training purposes in the area decades ago.

Supt. Dinsdale Thompson, O.C., San Ignacio Police Formation

“The Victor Galvez stadium, we have the construction going there for some couple weeks now and the persons who are doing the construction called us out this morning to the location in San Ignacio where we have found what appears to be mortar shell. What we have done so far is that we have called in the B.D.F. who have gone to the location and they are presently looking at what’s next in relating to the site; if they should tell the people that we need to close off this site and do a proper investigation if there is anymore blank or live or any other dangerous substance from the military that is found in that area. We believe that this rounds that was found were from the British time while they were here training in the area and for the time, over the years that were there, they were covered up. But because of the construction that has been going on that’s why they unearthed these rounds that they have found.”

Duane Moody

Dinsdale Thompson

“Any of these rounds can still be used any at all?”

Supt. Dinsdale Thompson

“Well what we have did as I said, the B.D.F. personnel are the experts in it and we have called them in and they are presently on top of it and they will inform us of the possibility or if they have unearthed any more of such and what they are going to do with the site, before they could continue with the construction.  From the experts, they are saying that it is a mortar round which is about twelve to eighteen inches in length and so we are looking at that as well. So pertaining to….not making any alarm to the public in any way, but if they are seeing any signs of no entry in that area, it is because of the construction and not because of the things that were found there, but because of the construction.”