Point Magu, California A 1950s era bazooka round washed up on a public beach prompted a response from the local bomb squad and the EOD unit based at Point Mugu Naval Base. The responding units decided to destroy the round in place which was directly in front of lifeguard tower 14. The beach was temporary closed during the response.

A social media post by the bomb squad described the response - "The Sheriff's Bomb Squad and Navy EOD unit examined the ordnance and determined the Super Bazooka round still contained live explosives and was too dangerous to transport."

[More]

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania An explosives demolition crew used various explosive charges to demo the Commercial Street bridge. The demolition crew reportedly combed the area after the implosion before giving the "all-clear" for crews to enter the area to remove the debris. However, the following day, crews removing debris got a un-expected surprise when a blast occurred after the heavy equipment they were using hit an explosive charge that failed to initiate during the initial demo operation.

PennDOT reported that no one was injured and no equipment was damaged. A spokesperson for PennDOT described the incident as "an errant mistake" and decided not to pursue any further investigations into the matter.

Coldstream, British Columbia A day at the beach was abruptly interrupted when a swimmer discovered UXO in the waters of Kalamalka Lake.

The individual located the suspicious device submerged near Pumphouse Beach and brought it to the shore. Officers from the Vernon North Okanagan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to the scene after receiving reports of the discovery. RCMP media liaison officer Cpl. Tania Finn stated that police confirmed the item was a UXO, describing it as a severely corroded artillery round.

[More]

Tuvalu Explosives experts have successfully located more than 11 tons of WWII-era munitions in Tuvalu, a remote Polynesian island in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. The massive cache of UXO was scattered across a 12-kilometer lagoon in Nanumea, a community of about 500 inhabitants that previously served as a U.S. airbase during the war. The newly discovered hazards appear to consist principally of US munitions associated with the historic military base.

Operating at the request of the Tuvalu government, an Australian Defence Force (ADF) clearance diving team partnered with EOD personnel from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to execute a technical reconnaissance mission. Working from the Royal Australian Navy minehunter HMAS Diamantina and the Pacific Support Vessel ADV Reliant, the dive teams covered more than 100 kilometers of seabed at depths reaching 25 meters.

[More]

Northern Iraq The community is mourning a devastating loss following the death of a U.S. Army soldier killed in action during the controlled detonation of UXO.

The Department of Defense has identified the fallen soldier as 30-year-old Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Sgt. Swinton was supporting overseas contingency operations at Erbil Airbase, Iraq when the fatal incident occurred. According to CENTCOM, forces were conducting a controlled detonation on the unexploded remnants of a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. Tragically, the operation resulted in Sgt. Swinton's death and left a second service member with minor injuries.

[More]

Dunbar, Scotland A WWII munition discovered on a beach in East Lothian has been safely detonated by an Army EOD team on Belhaven Beach in Dunbar. The find prompted the Dunbar Coastguard to issue a warning to the public that ordnance "occasionally" washes up or is uncovered on beaches from the war and that they still pose a "significant likelihood" of being dangerous.

The warning came in the form of a social media post where the coastguard shared a video of the ordnance being detonated on the beach by the EOD team.

The post also included a photo of around a dozen UXO found on Belhaven Beach in a week's time. A spokesperson said, "A warning to all those that use our beaches around Dunbar. We occasionally receive reports of ordnance washed up or uncovered on our local beaches, usually stemming from the WWII era."

"Whilst it may look harmless, please be advised there is a significant likelihood that it could still present a danger. For example, today a series of controlled explosions were needed at Belhaven due to live WWII-era ordnance being discovered."

[More]