An explosives ordnance disposal team attempted to disable a WWII-era “earthquake bomb” which suddenly exploded near the port of Swinoujscie, Poland.
In 2019, a Royal Air Force “Tallboy” bunker-busting bomb was found nose-up in the sediment at the bottom of Swinoujscie’s Piastowski Canal (Piast Canal). The 12,000-pound bomb was believed to be a relic of a successful RAF raid on the German pocket battleship Lutzow in April 1945. It was the largest WWII-era unexploded device yet found in Poland.
The first phase of deflagration was scheduled to begin on Tuesday, before a change in the weather. A precautionary evacuation order for all civilian personnel within a 2,500 meter radius of the site was in effect.
At about 1430 hours, the bomb detonated unexpectedly, sending a geyser of water skyward. The Polish Navy dive team had already cleared away from the scene, and no injuries were reported.
