WWII Bomb Explodes Unexpectedly During Defusing Efforts

A British Army explosives specialist inspecting a WWII bomb found in London in 2017.

A British Army explosives specialist inspecting a WWII bomb found in London in 2017. (Image: British Army) Great Yarmouth’s seaside resort town in England experienced quite the shakeup Friday when a World War II bomb detonated. Explosives specialists were working to defuse the bomb when the blast occurred, but according to emergency services and the British Army, no one was hurt.

Site workers building a new crossing at the River Yare discovered the explosive on Tuesday. Local police immediately shut down nearby roads and established a 400-meter evacuation zone, requiring residents and workers in the area to vacate. Army explosives specialists quickly arrived on the scene to build a protective sand barrier around the bomb and begin attempting to defuse it.

The sand barrier and evacuation zone proved necessary. On Friday, the meter-long, 551-pound explosive device detonated unexpectedly, resulting in a massive cloud of dirt and blue-gray smoke that could be seen from miles away. No one was injured, but Army and emergency personnel, regional gas company workers, and the United Kingdom’s Environment Agency continue to assess damage to the surrounding region. As of this weekend, they found nearby vehicles with broken windows, compromised bridge scaffolding, and damage to the River Yare’s flood wall. Local gas pipes are said to be in proper working condition.

The unexploded bomb in #GreatYarmouth detonated earlier during work to disarm it. Our drone captured the moment. We can confirm that no one was injured. Public safety has been at the heart of our decision making all the way through this operation, which we know has been lengthy. pic.twitter.com/9SaeYmHkrb

— Norfolk Police (@NorfolkPolice) February 10, 2023

Specialists originally hoped to disarm the bomb via robot. They initiated the process by having the robot sever the bomb’s fuse and trigger. But twists and turns are inherent to the explosives specialist profession, and the team had to pivot when water destabilized their surrounding sand barrier. They quickly switched to a slow-burn, controlled explosion technique, which would have gradually burned away layers of material until the bomb could safely be brought out to sea or destroyed at a military site. The lengthy operation was abruptly brought to a close just 24 hours later when the bomb went off.

This isn’t the first time the British Army has dealt with an explosive holdover from WWII. In 2017, contractors building a housing development in Brent, London, found a similarly-sized WWII bomb. Local police evacuated the area and set up a cordon as Army explosives specialists got to work. But these incidents differ in conclusion: The Army defused the London bomb the following evening, allowing for the device’s safe removal from the site.

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