A bomb dating from the Second World War was found Gare du Nord in Paris. A demining operation is underway. Four other similar bombs were found in a month.
Five bombs dating from the Second World War were found in a month in France. The last one is the one that made the most speak. It was discovered in the morning of Friday March 7 at the Gare du Nord, more precisely on the tracks 2.5 km from the quays of the Parisian station. A 500 -kilo bomb, containing nearly 250 kilos of explosives and measuring one meter, was found by workers.
If this discovery is talking, it is because it is not without consequences on rail and road traffic, but also because it could have been devastating. The workers could have triggered the bomb during their work, which would have caused a heavy human and material assessment. In addition, it was found in the largest station in Europe, where more than 600,000 travelers pass a day. This has also caused the traffic closure on many lines, such as that of Eurostar. Part of the Parisian ring road as well as the A1 motorway were closed.
Four other bombs found in a month
But this impressive discovery is not a first. On February 4, an American bomb of 1.2 meters for 220 kg was found in Frontignan in Hérault (34). The same day, a 250 kg English bomb was found on the Nantes airport site in Loire-Atlantique (44). On February 12, an explosive device was discovered during renovation work on the Dunkirk Museum website in the North (59). Finally on March 5, two days before the discovery at Station du Nord, a fisherman got hold of an American explosive device in the Channel, reports Science and life.
In a government document For deminers, dating from 2002, it is recalled that three conflicts followed one another in France: the Franco-German war of 1870, the first and the Second World War. “These three wars have led to the use of ammunition of all kinds. Some have been used and have not worked. Others have been abandoned, lost, hidden, forgotten, for the most diverse reasons. All represent a risk, variable according to their nature, their mechanical state, their aging, and especially the unconsciousness of the people who discover or manipulate them. This risk increases globally.” It is recalled there that one should not try to manipulate the explosive devices if one finds them and that it is immediately necessary to call on the police, who will notify the deminers: “In case of doubt, never fear to appeal to the deminers. The ridiculous no longer kills, the ammunition if!”