A World War II bomb was detonated in the middle of a city in England after lying undiscovered for more than eight decades.
Exeter residents and around 1,400 university students were evacuated on Friday and Saturday after the 2204 pound ‘Hermann’ bomb was found on a building site west of the University of Exeter.
The detonation took place on Saturday morning, with the explosion causing damage to surrounding properties.
The Devon and Cornwall Police advised Exeter residents to plan for the possibility that they wouldn’t be able to go home immediately.
A spokesperson for the force said that it was “impossible to predict” whether safety assessment work would be finished on Sunday.
“Regrettably, a number of properties predominantly within the 110-yard cordon have suffered structural damage including broken windows and cracked walls,” he said.
“In addition, debris, including large metal objects, were thrown in the blast, some of which landed on nearby roofs, which require the use of a crane to remove,” he added.
Residents outside the 110-yard cordon were allowed to return to their homes first while those who were between 110-yard and 440-yard were allowed to go back at 6 pm.
“It shook me over six miles away! Thought another large tree branch had fallen on my house,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Well, that explosion of the #exeter UXB was loud! Windows still rattling. Hope everyone safe, and the @UniofExeter students & residents evacuated can get home soon,” another tweeted.
“Something I thought I’d never see or hear. A #WW2 #bomb detonating in glenthorpe road, #exeter. I was in #belvederefields, about 350m and could still see the plume from the explosion. Amazing,” a third said.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!
Replaced!