At least 175 bombs have been discovered beneath the ground of a children’s playground in Wooler, a town in Northumberland, a northern district of England, the largest country in the United Kingdom. These bombs were manufactured during World War II and are still live.
This means they still have the potential to explode. According to a report by the BBC and AFP, citing Wooler Parish Council, the local government authority of the town, information about the presence of bombs under the field was received at the end of January. Excavation began in early February, and experts believe more bombs may still be buried in the area.
“The fuses, detonators, and other internal components of each recovered bomb are still intact. Given the power of these bombs, even a few explosions could cause massive destruction.”
Wooler has a children’s park called “Scott’s Park.” The land where the bombs were found is adjacent to Scott’s Park. The parish council had acquired this land from the government to expand the park. In December, the British government allocated funds for this expansion project.
Following this, excavation work began at the end of January as part of the park expansion. Shortly after digging started, bombs were discovered.
Wooler Parish Council member Mark Mather stated that the police bomb disposal unit has begun working to neutralize the bombs, and they are also assisting in the effort.
“As a councilor, I never imagined I would have to work with a bomb disposal unit. However, if these bombs had remained while children played in the field, a major disaster could have occurred at any moment,” Mark Mather told the BBC.