Port in French city of Marseille evacuated as officials move a one-ton German Second World War bomb

  • Explosive was discovered when construction workers accidentally pierced it with their equipment
  • It had been buried by Germans as a booby trap towards the end of the war
  • About 1,000 people were told to leave an area around the port while it was being removed.
  • Bomb was taken to military base to be safely detonated, officials said

By Kerry Mcqueeney

PUBLISHED: 18:11 GMT, 18 March 2012 | UPDATED: 15:56 GMT, 19 March 2012

An area around the port of the French city of Marseille was evacuated after a German bomb dating back to the Second World War was discovered.

Experts removed the explosive in a delicate operation to transfer it to a military base, where it was to be safely detonated.

About 1,000 people were asked to leave an area around the port today as officials began the task of moving the device.

Easy does it: An expert examines the bomb, which dates back to the Second Word War. The explosive was discovered by construction workers

Easy does it: An expert examines the bomb, which dates back to the Second Word War. The explosive was discovered by construction workers

Delicate operation: The explosive was taken to a military base and safely detonated

Delicate operation: The explosive was taken to a military base and safely detonated

Boat traffic was also halted and access to several coastal roads was blocked to ensure safe and clear passage for the bomb disposal experts as they moved it to a military base to be detonated.

The explosive was discovered in the city about a week ago, when construction workers accidentally pierced the bomb with their equipment.

 

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The bomb's ignition system no longer works but the sheer amount of explosives - 1,400 pounds - made it dangerous, according to the regional government.

It had apparently been buried by German soldiers, who had planned to destroy the city's port, as they retreated near the end of the war.

Evacuated: About 1,000 people around the port area of the city of Marseille (pictured) were told to leave while the bomb was removed

Evacuated: About 1,000 people around the port area of the city of Marseille (pictured) were told to leave while the bomb was removed



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Send it back to Berlin!!

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I take my hat off to the people on here who can even identify this bomb as being of British origin, to the uneducated (in this case me lol) it just looks like any other bomb, the comments about the guy wearing his hard hat also gave me a smile even though it is Monday!

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mmmmmm that is some tail lift to pick that up! Looks mostly empty....I am an Ordinance. - Professor Tickle, Hove Actually the Malvinas., 19/3/2012 7:13 mmmmmm, obviously not in tail lifts - the headline says it weighs a ton, the story says it weighs 1400lbs (0.62 tons), and a quick look at the Palfinger website reveals that they make tail lifts which will lift 1500kgs (1.5 tons). It's therefore some completely-unremarkable, easily-available, ex-stock tail lift. Incidentally, I doubt whether you're in Ordinance either - my Dad was in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, I don't believe there was ever an Ordinance Corps.

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Send it back to where it came from - Tom, Surrey, 18/3/2012 19:58 As another commenter has suggested that it's actually one of ours I don't think that's a good idea!

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''mmmmmm that is some tail lift to pick that up! Looks mostly empty....I am an Ordinance'' ...... Stop right there. If you are in Ordinance then you should know it is spelt 'Ordnance' unless of course you are going on to say you make the laws which are Ordinances.

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Headline says....'One ton bomb'....text says 1400 pounds. For the further education of DM reporters - one ton is 2240 lbs. No, I don't think the weight of the casing was the additional 640 lbs. - Steve , England, 19/3/2012 08:34******and if you look closely, the bomb actually appears to be an RAF 1000 pounder. Could have been buried on purpose, but more likely failed to detonate and just got buried in rubble.

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The bomb disposal guy is in the bottom of a ditch, surrounded by rocks and crumbling masonry.......hence de hard hat.

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Sneaky blighters.

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Headline says....'One ton bomb'....text says 1400 pounds. For the further education of DM reporters - one ton is 2240 lbs. No, I don't think the weight of the casing was the additional 640 lbs.

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If I was a construction worker and had uncovered this bomb I think I would have very damp smelly underpants now.

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