Dartmouth, England A Coastguard team and the bomb squad were called to a beach in Dartmouth after a suspicious device was found. The munition washed ashore on Strete Gate beach, prompting the Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team to set up a cordon while Royal Navy EOD from Plymouth responded.
The unidentified ordnance was destroyed through remote detonation. According to the coastguard rescue team, it was the second ordnance callout in less than a week.
South Devon, England The Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team responded to Hallsands beach for a reported suspect ordnance. A cordon was established around the anti-tank mine, while awaiting arrival of a Royal Navy EOD team from Plymouth.
Thermal camera images were used to confirm that the cordoned area was indeed clear of people, so EOD could dispose of the UXO through a controlled explosion. According to officials, the loud detonation proved that the mine was a live device.
The Coastguard issued a reminder that if you find ordnance on the coast, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, try to get a detailed location and remain a safe distance from it.
Lennox Head Beach, Australia Police were called to Lennox Head Beach to reports of a UXO that washed ashore. Officials from the Richmond Police District Rescue Squad secured the area, and the Australian Defence Force responded to detonate the marine location marker through a controlled explosion.
Officials took the opportunity to remind the public that if potential ordnance is found, leave the suspected item in place and contact local police immediately.
Plymouth, England A 400-m cordon was established in the Millbay area following the discovery of a 50-kg German WWII bomb on a building site in Plymouth. Schools, hotels and homes in the area were forced to evacuate while explosive specialists responded.
A second unexploded WWII bomb was also found in Exmouth at the same time, forcing some 2,000 homes to be evacuated. This bomb remains on a dredger in the marina while investigations continue. Officials described it as a "significant piece of ordnance".
Surin, Thailand a bomb disposal unit from the Surin Provincial Police have commenced extensive post-conflict clearance operations along the Thai-Cambodian border, following recent cross-border exchanges involving heavy artillery and rocket fire. The primary objective was the assessment and remediation of agricultural sectors that were subjected to barrages of BM-21 Grad rockets and artillery shells originating from the Cambodian side of the border.
Explosives technicians focused on impact crater analysis to determine the functionality of the ordnance used. Preliminary inspections of craters in the Naeng Mut sector indicate that the majority of the BM-21 warheads functioned as designed upon impact. The BM-21 Grad (Russian for "Hail") is a Soviet-designed truck-mounted 122mm Multiple Rocket Launcher System (MRLS).
Chichester, England Selsey Coastguard was called to Medmerry Beach following reports of a suspicious object. The coastguard team photographed the object and sent the pictures to EOD.
The item was declared safe and not ordnance, however the EOD team did carry out a controlled explosion on another item, before lifting the cordon.
Medmerry Beach is notorious for ordnance finds and has been called the "UK's most dangerous beach" by national media due to the frequency of explosive finds in the area.
Aberdeen, Hong Kong A WWII British grenade that was discovered in Aberdeen Country Park, Hong Kong, was disposed of by EOD with no injuries according to a police spokesperson.
The grenade was reported as a "Model 36M" and measured four inches long and 2.5 inches in diameter. It was found by staff from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department filling a hole along a walking path. No evacuation was necessary, but a 328-ft cordon was established prior to the in-place controlled detonation.
Hemet, California The Riverside County Sheriff's Bomb Squad disposed of a man's military ordnance collection after his widow requested help removing it from her home. Nearby homes were evacuated as police transported several large projectiles and canisters to a nearby field for a controlled detonation.
Bomb squad technicians decided to destroy the devices nearby instead of risking transporting them for disposal because of their age and inconclusive X-ray results, according to Sgt. Robert Martinez, a sheriff's spokesman.
City employees dug a hole in a nearby field, where the ordnance was covered with dirt to limit fragmentation. The Sheriff's Department declined to say how the devices were destroyed, but in his statement, Martinez said, "The exact render-safe procedures used are confidential and will not be released. Any remaining fragments are collected and disposed of."
Ocean Pines, Maryland
Bomb squad units and the United States Air Force EOD team from Dover Air Force Base responded and identified the munitions as M29A1 Practice Rockets.
St. Lucie, Florida The St. Lucie County bomb squad was called to Pepper Park Beach after a civilian discovered a WWII mortar in shallow water. Tom Gramlich, who was looking for lobsters, recognized the 12-pound munition as he had reportedly "found other bombs in the area."
Gramlich picked up the device and laid it at the edge of the water, before asking a fellow beachgoer to call the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. He also notified the lifeguard on duty.
Deputies responded and evacuated the beach in a 300-yard radius. The mortar was safely removed for proper disposal.
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