WWII Bomb Explodes Unexpectedly in Great Yarmouth, England
On Friday, a World War II bomb exploded unexpectedly in Great Yarmouth, a seaside town on England’s east coast.[0] The 250kg device had been discovered by a contractor working on the third crossing over the River Yare.[1] Authorities had declared a major incident and were working to disarm it when the unplanned detonation occurred.[2]
The bomb detonated shortly after work had started to disarm it, sending a loud bang and smoke across the town and causing buildings within 15 miles (24km) to shake.[3] A 400m cordon was put in place and people within a 200m inner cordon were prohibited from entering and strongly advised to evacuate.[4] People requiring assistance with evacuation from the exclusion zone can call an emergency helpline on 01493 330369.[4]
The Army’s Explosive Ordnance Device (EOD) team found that a blast could potentially affect two gas main pipes and went away to do further calculations.[5] However, they believed they could now “proceed without causing that damage”.[6] Police utilized a drone to capture footage of the explosion.[7]
Norfolk Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Nick Davison said: “We understand this has been an incredibly slow process but it’s needed to be for the safety of the public and those involved in disarming the device.[8]
0. “Old WWII bomb explodes unexpectedly in UK seaside town” Sky News Australia, 11 Feb. 2023, https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/united-kingdom/old-wwii-bomb-explodes-unexpectedly-in-uk-seaside-town/video/751e428c2d2347669704d2388ac71ce3
1. “Shocking footage shows moment WW2 bomb detonated unexpectedly after three-day operation” LBC, 11 Feb. 2023, https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/shocking-footage-shows-moment-ww2-bomb-detonated-unexpectedly-after-three-day-op/
2. “Second world war bomb detonates unexpectedly in Great Yarmouth” The Guardian, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/10/second-world-war-bomb-detonates-unexpectedly-in-great-yarmouth
3. “Great Yarmouth bomb drama sees huge WW2 device blow up as smoke billows” Express, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1733427/great-yarmouth-bomb-ww2-device-smoke-billows
4. “Police explain why work on unexploded WWII bomb in Great Yarmouth was delayed yet again overnight” Norfolk Live, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.norfolklive.co.uk/news/norfolk-news/police-explain-work-unexploded-wwii-8135162
5. “Great Yarmouth: Work to defuse WW2 bomb revised” BBC, 10 Feb. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-64593589
6. “Great Yarmouth: Work to defuse WW2 bomb begins” BBC, 9 Feb. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-64578597
7. “World War II bomb explodes in England in ‘unplanned' detonation” New York Post , 11 Feb. 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/02/11/world-war-ii-bomb-explodes-in-england-in-unplanned-detonation/
8. “Moment WWII ‘bomb' explodes as disposal experts attempted to disarm it” Daily Star, 11 Feb. 2023, https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/moment-wwii-bomb-explodes-disposal-29188678
