CNN reports that American bombing and military activity may be to blame for alarming cancer rates on a tiny island in the Caribbean. The residents of Vieques, an American island off the coast of Puerto Rico,  have nearly a 75% cancer rate after over 60 years of American military use of the island as a bombing range.

In one family, a girl, her sister, and her mother all have cancer, while several of their cousins are dying or have died from various forms. One of the girls, Coral, had to have her stomach and intestines replaced as a child, which has led to severe problems with diarrhea (and thus dehydration). The operations have left Coral scared, both emotionally and physically, with a large gash on her stomach where her operations occurred.

“It’s really difficult for my mom to have two daughters with cancer,” said 16-year-old Coral, the older daughter. “Because sometimes she’s got two of us in the hospital at the same time, and we both get sick at the same time. And sometimes she doesn’t have anyone to help her, and it really affects her.”

The Rosas live on Vieques, an American island off Puerto Rico. For nearly 60 years, the U.S. military used much of the island as a bombing range, dropping vast quantities of live bombs and missiles in weapons tests. Now, about three-quarters of the island’s residents — including Coral and her 14-year-old sister Inna — are part of a lawsuit that claims the bombing range made them sick.

“There’s a lot of people here dying of cancer,” Coral said. “I have my little cousin dying of cancer. I have my sister that has cancer. My boyfriend’s mom died of cancer. His dad has cancer of the skin. A lot of people are suffering here of cancer, ’cause what they did here in Vieques.”

It is believed by many, including Dr. John Wargo of Yale University, that the contamination from the bombing range has caused most of the illness of the residents of Vieques. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the people of Vieques against the federal government.

Photo (via CNN)