Overview
- In the night of Jan. 31–Feb. 1, surgeons at Hôpital Rangueil discovered a World War I–era shell during an operation on a man who reported severe rectal pain.
- A safety perimeter was set up and police, firefighters, and bomb-disposal specialists were mobilized, with firefighters confirming their intervention to assist.
- Démineurs neutralized and recovered the ordnance, reported to measure roughly 16–20 cm by 4 cm, and it was deemed not to present a continuing explosive risk.
- The 24-year-old patient remains hospitalized and is expected to be questioned as the Toulouse prosecutor’s office pursues an investigation; the object’s origin is unknown.
- Local outlets note rare but documented precedents in France, including a 2022 case in Toulon, reflecting the occasional appearance of historical munitions in civilian settings.