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In Germany, around 5000 bombs from WW2 are discovered and disarmed or detonated each year still. Most of these don't make news. Some of them make it to regional

In Germany, around 5000 bombs from WW2 are discovered and disarmed or detonated each year still. Most of these don't make news. Some of them make it to regional news when they need to evacuate parts of towns or cities for safety. Other than that, this massive effort is mostly under the radar. edit: the number I remembered was lower than the actual count.

donjoe 9y ago
The authorities had to detonate a bomb in Munich (Schwabing) back in 2012 which did not work out as planned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwjmf5wwLL0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwjmf5wwLL0
- narrowtux 9y ago
  In another video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRccXqD5KsY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRccXqD5KsY) some of the people involved were interviewed and they all say that it went exactly as planned, because a detonation with a radius of 300 meters was planned.
- gmueckl 9y ago
  I remember that incident quite well. But cases like this (or worse than this) are luckily a rare exception given the number of bombs that are found.
Tomte 9y ago
Exactly. I've been living in this town for six years now. In this time there have been three big bombs found, with substantial evacuations on the same day (a few thousand people). The last time was some weeks ago, and the local press not only did features about the two experts defusing the bomb, but was welcoming them by their first name, as they were old acquaintances. Also, when you get official permission to build the permission does not only include restrictions like maximum height etc., but also very clear directives in case munitions are found, including the correct phone number in the regional government. Before the permission for the building I'm living in was issued they actually interviewed older neighbours, one of which claimed he remembers some bomb droppings on this lot. They cross-checked with aerial imagery from the 1940s and concluded there was low risk and permission could be granted.

donjoe 9y ago

The authorities had to detonate a bomb in Munich (Schwabing) back in 2012 which did not work out as planned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwjmf5wwLL0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwjmf5wwLL0

narrowtux 9y ago
In another video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRccXqD5KsY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRccXqD5KsY) some of the people involved were interviewed and they all say that it went exactly as planned, because a detonation with a radius of 300 meters was planned.
gmueckl 9y ago
I remember that incident quite well. But cases like this (or worse than this) are luckily a rare exception given the number of bombs that are found.

Tomte 9y ago

Exactly. I've been living in this town for six years now. In this time there have been three big bombs found, with substantial evacuations on the same day (a few thousand people). The last time was some weeks ago, and the local press not only did features about the two experts defusing the bomb, but was welcoming them by their first name, as they were old acquaintances. Also, when you get official permission to build the permission does not only include restrictions like maximum height etc., but also very clear directives in case munitions are found, including the correct phone number in the regional government. Before the permission for the building I'm living in was issued they actually interviewed older neighbours, one of which claimed he remembers some bomb droppings on this lot. They cross-checked with aerial imagery from the 1940s and concluded there was low risk and permission could be granted.