On 25th December 2016 German construction workers unearthed a massive British WWII bomb, CNN has reported.

In what has become the biggest evacuation for an unexploded bomb (UXB) since the end of the war, the country relocated some 54,000 individuals from more than 32,000 households so that Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts could operate within a 1.5km cordon.

At approximately 7pm the British bomb had been defused, with Augsburg’s mayor confirming: “Aircraft bomb disarmed — these brave men are the real heroes of this historical day. Thank you deep down from the heart,” Gribl said on his Twitter account.

German authorities had previously decided to wait until Christmas to deal with the item as there was no immediate danger from the British WWII bomb. In Germany, as with many other Christian countries, families hold their main festive celebrations on Christmas Eve.

Augsburg bomb
Police cars and an ambulance are seen beside a road block on an empty street in augsburg, southern germany, during a mass evacuation on christmas day.

UXO incidents

More than 70 years after the end of the Second World War, unexploded ordnance (UXO) is still causing problems across Europe.

In August 2015, a 250 kilogram (550 pound) bomb was discovered on a construction site in East London, forcing a late-night evacuation while it was defused.

One year earlier, in January 2014, a bulldozer struck an unexploded bomb in Euskirchen, Germany, killing one person and injuring others.

Ensure the safety of your team and the wider public

If you’re in charge of a construction project that involves groundworks, whether it’s humanitarian, governmental or commercial, you need to consider the possibility of there being buried unexploded ordnance onsite.

Although your mind may jump straight to undiscovered world war bombs, in reality, there are many other sources of UXO contamination in the UK, including allied activities and weapons manufacturing.

At Brimstone, we tailor our service offerings to suit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a UXO risk assessment, survey, investigation or disposal we can help you with your risk mitigation requirements.

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