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Colombes WWII Bomb Neutralized With Controlled Blast After 15,000 Evacuated

The case highlights the recurring challenge of neutralizing wartime munitions in crowded urban areas.

Overview

  • Deminers destroyed the 225‑kg aerial bomb with an underground explosion at 3:18 p.m. Sunday, ending the immediate threat.
  • Teams had moved the device into a two‑meter pit and tried for hours to remove its detonator before switching to the blast plan when extraction failed.
  • Authorities cleared homes within 450 meters and banned outdoor gatherings across a one‑kilometer zone as about 800 personnel secured the area and suspended six bus lines.
  • Five reception centers opened in Colombes, Asnières‑sur‑Seine, and Bois‑Colombes, and authorities said 1,006 residents used them while police guarded emptied streets.
  • After final checks, officials lifted the evacuation and reopened the neighborhood, in a reminder that construction sites in France still uncover WWII bombs containing large explosive charges.