Heatwaves and wildfires in Europe expose WWII-era munitions: explosions reported in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, bomb disposal teams called in
Intense heatwaves and wildfires sweeping across Europe are uncovering a deadly threat buried for decades: unexploded bombs, mines and munitions from the two World Wars. The extreme heat in fire zones is triggering active explosions of old ordnance. Reports of blasts have been recorded in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, with bomb disposal teams rushed to wildfire areas approaching former battlefields. In France, a dry wildfire near Bordeaux revealed a WWII ammunition depot. In eastern Belgium, authorities reported pinpoint explosions in the Ardennes forest region, a focal point of fierce fighting between Allied and Nazi forces. Climate and peace experts warn that climate change is activating things that were stable and buried for decades. The threat is exacerbated by drought and falling river and lake levels. In Slovakia, two naval mines were exposed in the Danube; in Hungary, a bridge in Budapest was closed after a bomb was found at its base; similar incidents were recorded on the Rhine in Germany. In Belgium alone, the bomb disposal service handles over 3,000 calls a year and clears hundreds of tons of abandoned munitions.
The severe heatwaves and wildfires raging across Europe are revealing a lethal threat that had been buried underground for decades: unexploded bombs, mines and munitions from the two World Wars. The intense heat in fire zones is causing active detonations of the old ordnance. Reports of explosions have been recorded in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, and bomb disposal teams have been rushed to wildfire areas that are approaching former battlefields. In France, a dry wildfire near Bordeaux uncovered a World War II ammunition depot. In eastern Belgium, authorities reported pinpoint explosions in the Ardennes forest region, which was a focal point for fierce battles between Allied and Nazi forces. Climate and peace experts warn that climate change is activating things that were stable and buried for decades. The threat is also exacerbated by drought and falling river and lake levels. In Slovakia, two naval mines were exposed in the Danube; in Hungary, a bridge in Budapest was closed after a bomb was found at its base; and similar incidents were recorded on the Rhine River in Germany. In Belgium alone, the bomb disposal service handles over 3,000 calls a year and clears hundreds of tons of abandoned munitions.