Latest news with #unexplodedordnance
BBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Why is a Guernsey field being surveyed for undetonated bombs?
A field in Guernsey is to be surveyed later after suspicions were raised there could be undetonated World War Two bombs lurking deep beneath the in June 1940, the Channel Islands were the only British territories to be occupied by the Germans during the war. A contractor will be inspecting fields next to Route Isabelle, in St Peter Port, in the east of the island, after islanders raised concerns a previous survey had not looked deep enough for bombs. Wartime flight paths and military records point to unexploded ordnance potentially lying beneath the field, said bomb disposal expert Ben Remfrey, who ramped up pressure on the issue in October last former soldier said the most likely reason he believed there were bombs in the Foulon Farm area because of an event on 3 March 1941, when the RAF sent squadrons from airfields in the south of England to bomb the French port of Brest, which was in German hands. "The target was the German battleship, the Admiral Hipper, which was in dry dock," he said."It was a cloudy wet night and a number of the bombers could not identify the target and some were damaged by anti-aircraft fire." He said a few planes flew back to base and those that still had their payload onboard had to jettison, or throw out, the bombs due to them being unstable to land with."The jettison area was thought to be the Hurd Deep, north of Guernsey, and the route from Brest back to southern England passed over Guernsey in some instances," he said. What do authorities say? In 2018, the States of Guernsey was made aware of the potential existence of these unexploded aircraft-dropped bombs near Route Isabelle.A year later, a private specialist company was commissioned by the States to survey the land but no evidence was ever found of any October 2024 Guernsey Police said there was "no strong evidence that these devices exist" and officials had "already conducted precautionary work to ensure the risk to the community is minimal".In February 2025 Dave Le Ray, director of operations for Justice and Regulation, said "specialist advice" indicated the risk was "low" but the States had decided to "commission a deep survey" following concerns raised by residents and Mr Remfrey. How common is it to find WW2 ordnance? Mr Remfrey said live ordnances from World War Two continued to be found around the globe and it was important to make them safe."For one reason or another, a good deal of ordnance fails to function as designed when dropped - over time, the fusing mechanisms 'let go' and the bombs then detonate," he said."The perception is that these bombs, after 84 years, are rusty and unlikely to detonate is utterly unfounded." He said ordnance of "varying diameter" was found regularly in the Channel Islands, with most of it dealt by the police bomb disposal of a roll bomb found on Guernsey's south coast was detonated last October, and the bottom of the cliffs in the same area were closed off as a bomb was detonated in unexploded WW2 bomb was found and detonated on Jersey's east coast last Remfrey said air dropped weapons were "generally buried out of site" and that they could remain in "near perfect condition".He said if bombs were found, the Ministry of Defence would excavate and assess the ordnance, with safety cordons and evacuation options put in place.
Asharq Al-Awsat
27-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sudan Destroys Nearly 50,000 Explosive War Remnants
At least 14 people have been killed and 36 injured in 50 explosions linked to war debris across Sudan, the head of the national demining authority said, as security teams ramp up efforts to clear tens of thousands of unexploded ordnance. Major General Khalid Hamdan, Director of the Sudan National Mine Action Center, told Asharq Al-Awsat that more than 49,000 explosive remnants have been destroyed so far, including 37,000 large munitions and 12,000 smaller shells. Similar quantities have been collected for disposal in the coming days in Khartoum, while 8,000 mortar rounds were destroyed in Gezira state in central Sudan. Hamdan said Khartoum has emerged as one of the most heavily contaminated regions due to the ongoing conflict, with army engineering units currently removing landmines allegedly planted by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the El-Jaili oil refinery, the Salha district in southern Omdurman, and scattered areas in River Nile state. He warned that the actual toll from war debris could be significantly higher in RSF-controlled areas, where access is limited due to communication blackouts and civilians are often unable to report incidents or seek medical help. Seven specialized teams are currently deployed in Khartoum to clear unexploded ordnance from critical infrastructure, including United Nations buildings, government offices and banks, Hamdan said. Additional clearance teams, supported by the Ministry of Defense, are operating in the states of Gezira, Sennar, Blue Nile, White Nile and Kordofan. Hamdan estimated that $90 million is required to fully remove war remnants and reduce the threat posed to civilians across the country. He also said the demining mission has faced serious financial setbacks, particularly following US President Donald Trump's decision to halt foreign assistance. 'The UN's mine action office in Port Sudan was on the brink of closure, and only survived thanks to emergency Canadian funding,' he told Asharq Al-Awsat. Hamdan said the current conflict has made clearance operations more dangerous and complex. 'Before the war, it was easier to identify and isolate hazardous areas. But now, fighting has engulfed heavily populated regions, making awareness campaigns and citizen reporting essential,' he said. He noted that Sudan was close to declaring itself mine-free before the war reignited widespread contamination. 'The war has reversed years of progress. Unexploded ordnance is now scattered across several states, especially in Khartoum, where the fighting first erupted.'
Free Malaysia Today
20-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
World War II-era bomb found at Penang construction site
Police received a report from the public about the discovery of the bomb at 9.42pm. (PDRM pic) GEORGE TOWN : An old bomb, believed to be a still-active relic from World War II, was discovered at a construction site on Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang in Tanjung Tokong. Timur Laut police chief Abdul Rozak Muhammad said police received a report from the public about the discovery of the bomb at 9.42pm. 'The bomb disposal unit of the Penang contingent police headquarters inspected the object and confirmed that it was an unexploded ordnance bomb dating back to World War II. 'No property damage or casualties were reported in this incident,' he said in a statement. Rozak said that the area was confirmed to be safe, while the bomb is scheduled for disposal today.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- BBC News
Tip and waterworks shut as ordnance found at Dorchester scrapyard
Dorchester's recycling centre has been closed after suspected unexploded ordnance was found at a scrapyard next Water treatment works in St George's Road was also evacuated following the discovery at 12:00 BST on Council said the object was thought to be a World War Two-era tank round, although it had not been authority said it expected the tip to reopen at 09:00 on Friday but would issue an update if that was not the case. The council said its Louds Mill household recycling centre and and Wessex Water's Louds Mill were evacuated "as a safety precaution while the police investigate".Dorset Police said it had been notified that "suspected ordnance had been found in the area of St George's Road in Dorchester".It said the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team had been "made aware and a team will attend to assess the item". You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
