Strange discovery for two hikers on a trail in the heights of Metzeral this Saturday April 27. At the beginning of the afternoon, at a place called Im Berg, they spotted smoke. Thinking it was a campfire, they approached to put it out with water without success. Realizing it was in fact a grenade, the hikers called for help.
Grenades that can explode at any time
When they arrived on site, the firefighters and civil security deminers have set up a security perimeter. They detonated the grenade in a secure environment. This type of weapon is very unstable, and can be triggered at any time, causing a ball of fire about twenty meters in diameter.
According to the deminers, the phosphorus certainly started to smoke in contact with the air due to the rust. They are called on similar interventions several times a year in Alsace. In total, each year, the Colmar mine clearers recover several tonnes of devices from the First World War to neutralize them.
