A “grenade” type explosive device found in a small northern town

The Arras mine clearance service (Pas-de-Calais) was called on Sunday October 27, 2024 to intervene on an explosive device found in Bavay (North). According to information from our colleagues at The Voice of the North it was a local resident who discovered this grenade-type device and who immediately contacted the firefighters.

A security perimeter set up

The mine clearance operation, which continued into the afternoon, required the closure of a security perimeter in order to protect local residents and ensure the safety of the operation.

For the moment, we do not know how the object could have ended up in this location: did it fall from a vegetated area or did it rise from the ground due to the heavy rains of recent days? The mystery is not solved.

See also: A Second World War bomb weighing nearly 450 kg defused near Saint-Lô

Common mine clearance operations in the north of France

But mine clearance operations are not uncommon in northern France, which was the scene of fighting during the First and Second World Wars.

Last June, for example, an impressive demining operation took place in Rang-du-Fliers (Pas-de-Calais). Minesweepers had defused a 226 kg bomb, discovered a few days earlier during earthworks. Residents were confined to their homes for three hours.

To find out more: read the article by The Voice of the North