COLOMBES: Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled underground detonation of a World War II explosive near Paris on Sunday, an AFP journalist reported, after authorities evacuated more than a thousand residents.&nbsp;Nearly 800 police cordoned off the site in the northwest suburb of Colombes, where the device was first discovered on April 10.&nbsp;An AFP journalist heard the explosion around 3:20 pm (1320 GMT) as experts detonated the bomb in a two-meter-deep (6.5-foot) pit.&nbsp;Officials also confirmed the operation had been carried out.&nbsp;The controlled explosion was ordered after specialists had failed in one bid to remove the detonator from the explosive, which measured more than one meter in length, excluding the tail section.&nbsp;Footage of the operation showed rusted metal fragments at the bottom of a sand pit, reinforced with thick timber planks and concrete walls.&nbsp;Residents within a 450-metre radius were told early Sunday to move to local reception centers. Authorities expect to allow them back into their homes later in the day. Some local roads were closed to traffic and public transport.&nbsp;Local official Alexandre Brugere on Thursday had described the operation as &quot;risky&quot; and requiring a &quot;high level of preparation&quot;.&nbsp;Unexploded World War II ordnance is still found across Europe, particularly in Germany where bombs are regularly discovered on construction sites, 80 years after the conflict ended.&nbsp;In 2025, the discovery of a 500-kilogramme wartime bomb halted traffic at the Paris Gare du Nord station, France&#39;s busiest railway terminus.

Europe

Bomb disposal experts detonated a World War II explosive in Colombes Paris after failed defusal attempts. Over 1,000 residents were evacuated, 800 police secured the area, and expect residents to return after the controlled blast.

Experts carry out controlled blast of WWII bomb near Paris

DRESDEN: Officials in Dresden evacuated 18,000 people Wednesday after the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb, the largest such operation yet in the eastern German city, emergency services said. A bomb squad was set to try to defuse the 250-kilogram British bomb which was found during work in the city center to rebuild an Elbe river bridge that collapsed in 2024. The exclusion zone had been fully established by 9:00 am local time, said police in the Saxony state capital. More than 400 police along with other emergency services were deployed, backed up by a helicopter and a drone, to check that homes, shops, schools, care homes and offices were empty inside a one-kilometer radius of the device. The bomb was discovered on Tuesday during clearance and construction work following the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge in September 2024. The evacuation affected major historic sites including the city&#39;s Zwinger Palace and the Frauenkirche church, as well as residential buildings, hotels and government offices. Because the bomb&#39;s detonator is damaged, a water jet cutter has to be used which will &quot;naturally delay&quot; the operation, police spokesman Marko Laske told public broadcaster MDR. If that doesn&#39;t work, bomb squad experts will have to consider detonating the bomb on site, he added. Dresden was heavily bombed by the Allies on February 13 and 14, 1945, killing up to 25,000 people and destroying large parts of the old town known for its Baroque architecture. World War II bombs were previously found and defused at the site in January and August 2025, with thousands of people affected each time.

A police officer cordons off Große Meißner Straße during an evacuation of the city center on March 11, 2026. (AFP)

Authorities evacuated 18,000 people in Dresden after workers discovered an unexploded 250-kg World War II British bomb during bridge reconstruction, as bomb disposal teams prepared a complex defusing operation.

Articles tagged with "World War II"

Experts carry out controlled blast of WWII bomb near Paris

Dresden city center cleared to defuse unexploded WWII bomb