Thousands evacuated after WWII bomb found in Poland’s Lublin

Some 14,000 residents of the eastern Polish city of Lublin were evacuated from their homes on Friday morning after builders uncovered a huge unexploded World War II bomb.

Photo:

PAP/Darek Delmanowicz

Police, territorial army troops and city authorities helped transport the residents to safety at the Lublin Arena stadium and other large buildings, according to news outlets.

🚨 Lublin: ewakuacja po znalezieniu niewybuchu.
Na wniosek Wojewody Lubelskiego, #Terytorialsi razem z @PolskaPolicja wsparli ewakuację mieszkańców części Lublina w bezpieczne miejsce. #ZawszegOTowi #ZawszeBlisko#Terytorialsi pic.twitter.com/rIkLzLN1eh

— Terytorialsi - Zawsze gotowi, zawsze blisko! (@terytorialsi) August 11, 2023

The operation to remove the 250-kilogram explosive was expected to last around two hours, allowing the inhabitants to return to their homes in the early afternoon, according to officials.

❗ Lublin: trwa ewakuacja po znalezieniu niewybuchu. Drodzy mieszkańcy! Zrobimy wszystko, co w naszej mocy, by jak najszybciej bezpiecznie zneutralizować zagrożenie.@MON_GOV_PL x @terytorialsi pic.twitter.com/HlSbEmTUk8

— Dowództwo Generalne (@DGeneralneRSZ) August 11, 2023

The unexploded World War II bomb was found on Thursday by builders conducting earthworks on a new residential area, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Before World War II, this part of Lublin hosted an aircraft factory and an airport; after the Nazi German invasion of Poland in 1939, the occupation authorities operated a prisoner camp and a labour camp in the area, PAP noted.

World War II bombs are still regularly found during earthworks in Poland, which was the site of heavy fighting, US broadcaster ABC News reported.

(pm)

Source: PAP, TVP Lublin, ABC News

News From Poland's Marcin Matuszewski explored both the latest developments - and the history behind this unexploded ordnance.

Click on the audio player above to listen.