Controlled explosion of a World War II bomb near Paris

By Serge Duchêne with AFP

Published on April 19, 2026 – 18:17 UTC+2 Updated at 18:19

On Sunday, near Paris, bomb disposal experts carried out the controlled detonation of a World War II explosive device, following the evacuation of several thousand people, as reported by an AFP journalist.

Nearly 800 police officers surrounded the site, located in the northwest suburbs of Colombes, where the device was discovered on April 10 during construction work. The bomb measured 1.06 meters in length without its tail section and 33 centimeters in diameter.

An AFP journalist heard the explosion around 3:20 pm local time when the experts detonated the bomb in a two-meter-deep pit.

Authorities confirmed the successful operation.

The controlled detonation was ordered after an initial unsuccessful attempt to remove the detonator from the device, which measured over a meter in length, not counting the rear part.

Images of the operation showed the heavy rusted metallic relic resting at the bottom of a sandy pit firmly sealed with thick raw wooden planks embedded in front of concrete walls. Significant covering work was then required to muffle the blast from the detonation.

A deep thud followed by heavy echoes reverberating for hundreds of meters around echoed through the deserted streets of this western Parisian commune, as a drone flew over the site to inspect the crater and ensure total security.

Residents within a radius of 450 meters were urged on Sunday morning to go to local shelters. Authorities plan to allow them to return home later in the day. Some local roads were closed to traffic and public transport.

On Thursday, Alexandre Brugere, a local official, described the operation as “risky” and emphasized the need for “meticulous preparation.”

Unexploded World War II munitions are still being discovered across Europe, notably in Germany where bombs are regularly uncovered at construction sites, 80 years after the end of the conflict.

Neutralizing such remnants in densely populated urban areas recalls the paralysis of the Gare du Nord in Paris in March 2025 after the discovery of a 500-kilogram bomb, requiring the evacuation of schools and residents under the watch of 300 police officers.