World War II Just Took Another Life As Relic Bomb Explodes

Of all the bombs dropped across Europe and Asia during World War II's night raids and aggressive bombing campaigns—by the British against the Germans, by the Americans against the Germans and the Japanese, by the Germans against pretty much everybody—a fair number failed to explode. That doesn't mean they were duds. Today, says CNN, an old bomb, thought to be from World War II, exploded in Germany. One person died, and eight more were injured, says the BBC.

The explosion occurred after a digger accidentally struck the device during excavation work in Euskirchen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The machine's operator died on the spot. Two of those hurt were critically wounded, the dpa news agency reports.

Police said the blast impact could be felt a kilometre (0.6miles) away.

Unexploded ordnance, from bombs to mines, is a global problem. According to the World Health Organization, “it is estimated that 26,000 people are killed or maimed by mines/UXOs every year.”

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Colin Schultz | | READ MORE

Colin Schultz is a freelance science writer and editor based in Toronto, Canada. He blogs for Smart News and contributes to the American Geophysical Union. He has a B.Sc. in physical science and philosophy, and a M.A. in journalism.