Illustration of a WWII bomb.
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MAISONNEUVE / SIPA
Deminers caused the controlled explosion of a German explosive device dating from World War II this Saturday in Exeter (England).
The explosion produced by the one-ton bomb shattered the doors and windows of buildings located in front of the site of the machine, told the BBC Matthew Cridge, a structural engineer.
Some of these buildings also suffered damage to the roofs.
“They weren't as damaged as I imagined,” commented the expert.
So I would say the military did a great job in controlling the strength of the blast ”.
Residents living within a radius of 400 meters had been evacuated the day before the operation.
The nearest buildings were covered in gray powder after the detonation.
Wild.
A 2,200lb (1,000kg) WW2 Bomb was detonated in Exeter #England over the weekend.
Thousands evacuated, buildings nearby damaged.
Basically, the “Hermann Bomb” used by Nazis was sitting there for> 75 yrs:
pic.twitter.com/4gjInrtpdd
- Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) March 1, 2021
A bomb discovered by workers
Sandbags had in fact been placed around the bomb in order to direct the shock wave upwards.
Debris was thrown up to 250 meters and the crater left by the detonation is of a size to accommodate three double-decker buses.
No casualties were reported.
The buildings were being inspected on Tuesday to verify the absence of structural damage.
Among the residents who had to leave their homes, only those who live more than 100 meters from the site of the explosion were able to return to their homes on Sunday.
The others had to stay in the temporary accommodation made available to them.
The bomb was discovered on Friday by workers working on private land near one of the University of Exeter campuses.
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Deminer
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Second World War
Demining
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England