Unexploded WWII bomb in UK to be destroyed in controlled blast

Authorities in the British Plymouth city are preparing to carry out a controlled explosion of a World War Two-era bomb discovered at a construction site, prompting the evacuation of more than 1,200 homes.

The 250kg German SC250 bomb was found in the Southway area of the city, leading officials to establish a 400 metre exclusion zone. Residents within the cordon have been ordered to leave their homes ahead of the planned detonation on May 1, BBC reports. 

Col Nick Handy, the senior explosives officer overseeing the operation, said the device could not be safely moved due to uncertainty surrounding its fuses.

“A lot of people say 'Well it's been in the ground for 80 years, what's the problem with it?'” he told reporters. “The simple reason is, the fuses are the thing that makes it go bang.”

Efforts to examine the bomb using X-ray technology were inconclusive.

“Unfortunately we cannot get a definitive X-ray of the second fuse and therefore it's not safe to move that item,” he said. “So we're going to blow it in situ.”

Specialist teams have been working around the clock to prepare the site, building a protective barrier using large quantities of sand to minimize the impact of the explosion.

“We're going to try our hardest to deflagrate that item and burn it inside of a structure that will limit the damage to the local surroundings,” Col Handy said. “I'm pretty confident that the mitigation that we put up will limit most of the damage.”

He added: “We're going to work tirelessly through the night to ensure that that mitigation protects the buildings that face the site and indeed cover the item to ensure the least amount of blast and fragmentation comes out from the area where we do our work.”

Police and the Royal Navy have warned residents not to return to the exclusion zone until the operation is complete. Temporary accommodation has been arranged, including the opening of a local community center for evacuees, while city authorities are providing hotel stays for those unable to stay with friends or family.

Local schools in the affected area will remain closed as safety measures continue.

Plymouth was heavily bombed during World War Two, and unexploded ordnance is still occasionally discovered during construction work, posing ongoing risks more than eight decades later.

By Sabina Mammadli