Ground Maintenance Workers Injured In UXO Encounter

Oahu, Hawaii Two ground maintenance contractors were evacuated to Queen's Medical Center after being involved in a UXO incident. The workers reportedly encountered UXO at Makua Military Reservation as they were operating weed-whackers. The encounter caused an explosion that caused serious injury to one worker with the blast impacting a nearby worker to a lesser degree.

An Army contracted medevac helicopter airlifted the civilians to the hospital. The exact type of munition involved in the accident was not reported and it is unknown if UXO escorts were provided to the workers. The incident is under investigation by the Army.

Man Has Live Grenade Removed from Leg by EOD

Birmingham, Alabama Army EOD Technicians from Fort Benning rushed to the aid of a 62-year-old man who accidentally fired an entire undetonated 40-mm grenade into his leg. The man and two paramedics were held outside hospital for eight hours following instructions from the EOD that one move could kill them all. Eventually, the team decided to have a disposal specialist attempt to remove the device from the man's leg.

Doctors at the clinic where the man first reported his injury stated that the victim thought the item was a novelty grenade and for some reason decided to "hit it with a hammer". At first they thought his wounds were the result of a piece of shrapnel but realized during transport to a shock trauma facility that it was indeed the actual 40mm grenade. The grenade reportedly failed to detonate because it did not travel far enough to arm itself when it became lodged in his leg.

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Beach Camper Killed by WWII ERA UXO

Groix , France A 26-year-old camper was killed by an explosion believed to have been caused by a WWII UXO that had washed ashore on the French island of Groix off the coast of Brittany. The man died after a blast near a campfire while on vacation with nine other friends, one of whom was seriously injured in the blast.

Authorities investigating the incident suspect that the tide washed the UXO ashore as munitions debris reportedly found in the area. The exact cause of the detonation was unknown at this time.

UXO Found Among the Debris of Phoenix Fire

Phoenix, Arizona Luke Air Force Base munitions experts were called to the scene of a massive industrial fire affecting at least six businesses, when officials found military-grade ordnance. The EOD team found dozens of tubes for explosives, but only three were determined to be live.

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Explosion at Ammunition Plant Kills Worker

Nashville, Tennessee An explosion at the Rio Ammunition plant killed one work and injured three others. The accident reportedly occurred in a area of the plant where smokeless powder is feed into a hopper. Agents from the ATF are part of the investigation team along with Tennessee OSHA. Authorities suspect that the accident was not a result of criminal intent but rather an industrial accident.

WWI UXO Claims Two Lives in Belgium

Flanders, Belgium An accidental explosion of a WWI-Era UXO has killed two workers and injured two more at a construction site. The men were clearing an area by a canal on an industrial site when the UXO detonated without warning.

One was killed at the scene while a second died in hospital. A third man was in a critical condition from his injuries.

The site has been closed off as explosive experts examine the area. It is common for ordnance items to be found in the area. Flanders was shelled by German forces throughout WWI, and it is believed that thousands of explosives remain buried in the area.

Three Killed During Training Exercise Explosion

Moscow, Russia Three Russian soldiers were killed from a munitions explosion at a military training site in the far east Khabarovsk Region. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. The troops were reportedly conducting a live-fire exercise from an armored fighting vehicle when the explosion occurred. It is unclear at this time what type of munition was involved in the accident or if human error is to blame.

Bulldozer Driver Killed At Scrap Metal Site From UXO

Euskirchen, Germany A bulldozer driver was killed and 13 others injured when an explosion occurred at a debris sorting area used by a construction company. The explosion occurred as the bulldozer driver attempted to move a pile of recyclable debris (i.e., old scrap metal items from construction projects / sites). Two of the 13 injured are in critical condition at a nearby hospital. The blast damaged homes in a 400 meter radius around the detonation site.

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Four Marine EOD Technicians Killed In Range Clearance

Camp Pendleton, California tragic news was released by the Marine Corps that four Marines were killed while conducting an operational range sweep on the Zulu Range complex. The names of the Marines have not been released at this time but reportedly all four were EOD technicians. The accident is under investigation and more details will be released.

Stay tuned with UXOInfo.com as we will report additional details as they become available.

"Falling Refrigerator" Turns Out to Be Exploding Ordnance

New River, Arizona Forty-nine-year-old Scott Lane suffered a severe leg injury after a military-grade explosive went off near Daisy Mountain in the New River area north of Phoenix.

According to officials from the Maricopa County Sheriff's office, the man has lost most of one leg due to the explosion which reportedly occurred as the victim was helping two people move from a 120-acre property on which they were not authorized to live.

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