Thousands Evacuated as World War Two Bomb Successfully Detonated in Colombes, Paris
Thousands of people were evacuated from the Paris suburb of Colombes on Sunday as authorities carried out the successful detonation of a World War Two bomb. Residents within a 450-metre radius of the device, found during construction work on Rue des Champarons on 10 April, were instructed to vacate their homes by 07:00 local time.
An initial attempt to remove the bomb's detonator proved unsuccessful, leading French authorities to opt for a controlled explosion to destroy the historic munition in situ. The Préfet des Hauts-de-Seine confirmed the operation was “carried out successfully”, with the evacuation order lifted by early Sunday evening.
Nearly 800 police officers were deployed to manage the 900-metre wide evacuation zone, alongside a wider zone extending a kilometre where residents could remain indoors but were restricted from outdoor activity. Local officials had previously described the operation as “risky” and demanding a “high level of preparation”.
Undetonated World War Two ordnance continues to be discovered regularly across Europe, particularly in urban centres during new construction. Such finds frequently necessitate significant disruption and evacuation procedures, as seen with numerous discoveries in London and a 500kg device found near Paris's Gare du Nord last year.
