The Explosives Clearing Service defused an English aeroplane bomb near Venlo on Sunday morning. As a safety measure, local residents had to stay indoors for two hours. Shipping and air traffic were also halted. At 10.40 a.m., the area was released again.

The 500-pounder from World War II lay in the Maas near the Maasveld in Tegelen. The EOD therefore had to dismantle the bomb under water and "that doesn't happen often", a spokesperson tells L1. "Fortunately, the water in the Maas is quite clear and we could see everything very well."

Complicated job

The clearing team had already started preparations yesterday. "The bomb was then stabilised and the detonator excavated. Today a mechanical clamping plate was mounted so that the detonator could be removed from the bomb remotely."

A complicated job for the experts, because everything had to be done with a diving suit on. "You have resistance from the water itself and you are lighter, so you have to take that into account."

After dismantling, there was no longer a risk of explosion and the bomb could be moved to another location, where it was buried and detonated.

The aerial bomb was found at the end of May during work by the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) on the river Maas near Venlo. In preparation, Explosive Clearance Group BV (ECG) searched for explosives from the Second World War. Venlo was heavily bombed at the end of the war.

Source: www.nos.nl (dated 25 September 2017)
Photos: Maurice van de Graef