Amid an outcry of protest from local residents, the ordnance experts of the army and navy have begun the destruction of armaments in the village of Sierra Prieta, some 30 kilometers north of Santo Domingo. The arms – some of which are said to be as much as sixty years old – have been accumulated at the Sierra Prieta firing range, having been relocated from a naval base in Santo Domingo, a military installation in Bani, and an arms storage deposit in San Cristobal. The San Cristobal facility had been the scene of a series of explosions last month caused by ancient armaments in an advanced state of decomposition. ?This should have been done fifteen years ago,? said Vice Admiral Luis Alberto Humeau Hidalgo. An accidental explosion at the firing range on Saturday night caused the evacuation of seven families living in the area. However, business owners and families living in nearby Yamasa have expressed terror at the possibility of flying debris, noxious gases, and loud noises that unnerve children and domestic pets. Army General Jose Domingo Lora often reassurance that ?we take all necessary preventive measures, by detonating the arms in ten-foot deep holes.? He added that the detonations could be expected to continue for several months.
