A Nation Shut Down Ahead of WWII Bomb Disposal

Nauru, Micronesia Schools and workplaces on the tiny Pacific Island of Nauru are slated to be closed and the area evacuated as Australian Army EOD defuse a 500-lb WWII UXO discovered by a construction crew in a residential area near the Nauru International Airport.

Acting President Martin Hunt declared a state of disaster covering the entire island of Nauru, one of the world's smallest nations with a land area of just 8 sq. miles and a population of 11,000.

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EOD Dispose of UXO Found in New Zealand Harbor

Wellington Harbour, New Zealand A fuze was discovered in the waters off Oriental Bay by volunteer divers cleaning up Wellington Harbour. The diver who discovered the item and at first thought it might make a good display piece for a mantelpiece until a historian confirmed it was a WWII fuze that was potentially live.

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Excavators Unearth WWII-era UXO

Olathe, Kansas A WW II-era shell was discovered in Olathe by excavating crews clearing undeveloped land. The Olathe Fire Department, ATF Kansas City, and Fort Riley's 774th EOD Company responded to safely remove the shell. No injuries were reported, according to firefighters, and there were no evacuations as the shell was found in a remote area.

The UXO was reported as "live" and has been identified as a 75-mm artillery shell (specific nomenclature not provided). No reports as to how the shell ended up on the property.

Man Finds UXO in Dumpster Outside His Home in England

Ross-on-Wye, England An evacuation order was issued after a man found an ordnance item in a dumpster outside of his house. According to homeowner, someone had placed the device in a plastic bag and tried to cover it with soil. The man told reporters details of the find stating to them "I shook it and held it near my face before I realized what it was. When the penny dropped, I put it down and rang the police and reported it!"

When authorities saw a photo sent by Hayward, they rushed to the scene and evacuated a 100-yard-long stretch of the street. West Mercia Police arrived within minutes of being alerted, followed by an army EOD team from Ashchurch who safely removed it and destroyed it.

In a statement, a West Mercia Police explained that an "EOD team attended and disposed of the device" and the incident was not regarded as suspicious. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence followed up to state that the ordnance was from the WWII era.

Homeowner Finds Ordnance During Lawn Work

Antioch, Illinois A homeowner doing yard work discovered a suspicious object with sharp edges protruding from the ground. Curious, the homeowner dug around the lawn to uncover and pull the item out of the ground.

When the item was fully exposed, the homeowner quickly realized that the suspicious item was actually ordnance. She called the Lake County Sheriff's office to report the find. Authorities responded and identified the ordnance as a WWII era anti-tank round.

Residents were evacuated as the bomb squad removed the ordnance for proper disposal. It is unclear how long the object had been in the yard or how it got there.

Section of Coastline Closed for UXO Response

La Bette Bay, Guernsey A stretch of coastline adjacent to Jaonnet Bay was closed after UXO was found. The responding bomb disposal team reported that the item was fuzed and as such it was detonated in place. The UXO was reported as a "300-lbs roll bomb".

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Garden UXO is No "Cartoon"

Tewkesbury, England A bomb disposal unit responded after a suspected UXO was found in a backyard garden. Tina Otto was gardening with her son-in-law when they found the suspicious device.

Army EOD responded to assess the item according to Gloucestershire Police. Neighbors in the area were advised to stay indoors until a decision could be made on the item's disposal or removal.

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Public Warned to Stay Away from Popular Beach Access in Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

The site is located at the southernmost point of Bellows Air Force Station, north of Waimanalo Bay State Recreation Area. It has been designated "off limits" to the public, but officials say the no trespassing signs do little to keep people out.

Despite cleanup efforts which began years ago, the area which was once used as an urban warfare training site, likely still contains UXO.

"We don't want people to come stumbling across" the munitions, said state Department of Health Environmental Specialist Sven Lindstrom. He added that the site is "easily accessible from the state park from the beach, and there's areas where you can kind of cut through along the stream bed from Waimanalo to get to the beach."

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Asparagus Planting Leads to EOD Response

Cambridgeshire, England A member of the Ickleton Allotment Society recently discovered a hand grenade while planting asparagus at their plot in Cambridgeshire. According to Cambridgeshire Police, officers responded, sealed off the area, and sent images to the army's EOD team.

In a statement police said, "In this instance it was a genuine grenade and the team carried out a controlled explosion. If you ever come across something similar, please give us a call."

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Army EOD Detonates WWII Bomb in Racecourse Parking Lot

Hereford, England British Army EOD from Ashchurch Troop, 721 EOD squadron, 11 EOD and Search Regiment carried out a controlled explosion of a WWII bomb in the parking lot of a racecourse in Hereford. According to the Ministry of Defense, a 29mm Spigot Mortar (anti-tank weapon) was found in nearby. West Mercia Police requested the EOD response, and the area was cordoned off.

After residents were evacuated from the area, the team conducted a controlled explosion in the racecourse parking lot. "The bomb wasn't actually found on our site," said Hereford's general manager Camilla Esling.

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