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Police detonate WW2 bomb in Linz

The Local Austria
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Police detonate WW2 bomb in Linz
Photo: Polizei

A 250 kilogramm bomb from World War Two was deliberately detonated on Tuesday after being discovered in Linz by two locals.

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Police cornered off a 200 metre area around the spot where the aerial bomb was found on the edge of the city before exploding the weapon at 10.35 this morning.

The bomb was discovered by two locals using a metal detector to try and find coins. After realising what they had stumbled across, they immediately called authorities to secure the weapon.

Due to the way it was buried in the ground, it was difficult for authorities to remove the bomb safely and they decided instead to detonate it.

The detonation was scheduled for 10am but had to be postponed by 35 minutes so police could remove people from the area. The bomb was found in the vicinity of the Westautobahn and the Mühlkreisautobahn (A1 and A7), although both roads were not affected.

According to local media, the shock from the blast was felt more than 100 metres away from the detonation point

Excavations in Austria and Germany regularly turn up with potentially dangerous munitions left behind from the bombardment of the region by Allied forces during World War Two.

Only a week ago workers digging foundations at Heldenplatz in Vienna for temporary accommodation for Parliament found two live WW2 grenades.

In April police in Vienna shut off the B14 road into the city and stopped a train carrying hundreds of commuters after the 250kg bomb was uncovered in a building site.

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