Emergency alert issued after World War II bombs go unexploded
An emergency alert has been sent to mobile phones warning people nearby to evacuate as objects believed to be World War II explosives are dumped at sea.
According to PA Media, Devon and Cornwall Police were called to St Michael Avenue in the Keyham area of Plymouth on Tuesday morning after an object was found in a garden.
A 300m cordon has since been set up around the site, affecting 1,219 properties and an estimated 3,250 people.
On Friday, Plymouth City Council announced that the bomb would be taken by military convoy to the Torpoint Ferry slipway and disposed of at sea.
People living within 300 meters of the bomb’s route were told to leave their homes and head to their cities by 2pm on Friday.
A “severe alert” warning was sent to mobile devices in the area shortly after 12pm on Friday. Published by Plymouth City Council.
“The World War II bomb discovered at Keyham will be transported to Torpoint Ferry Airstrip via Saltash Road at 2pm today, 23 February 2024.”
“A time-limited cordon will be in place on this route from 2pm until an estimated 5pm.” We ask that you please stay away from restricted areas during this period.
“For more information on routes, cordons and support, please visit the Plymouth City Council website.” For more information, visit gov.uk/alerts.
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A major incident was declared by Plymouth city council on Tuesday afternoon and everyone who lived within 200m â about 1,200 people â was asked to leave their homes.
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As the residents left, police officers, firefighters, more than 100 military personnel, including the Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, search and rescue teams and emergency response charities arrived. In all, about 1,000 professionals have been involved.
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On Thursday, the cordon was extended, to precisely 309m, taking in 1,219 properties and an estimated 3,250 people. The council advised people to take any household documents with them, open windows (to reduce the chance of them breaking if there was a blast) and remove cars.
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A rest centre was opened at the Life Centre leisure complex. The Red Cross arrived to help out.
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People fretted about left-behind pets and photo albums and worried that their insurance wouldnât cover an âact of warâ. Resident Jordan Brett, who was staying in a hotel, said he was concerned about his rabbits. âIf thereâs a controlled explosion there, weâll definitely have to get our two rabbits before that,â he said
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But most were prepared to wait patiently, recapture a bit of the Blitz spirit Plymouth showed eight decades ago. âYou need to sit tight,â said Matt Wake. âBe the best British people you can be â put the kettle on.â
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The Ministry of Defence said the evacuation in Plymouth due to the unexploded bomb is one of the largest since the second world war.
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In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the MoD said: âOne of the largest UK peacetime evacuation operations since WW2 is underway in Plymouth, where BritishArmy and RoyalNavy have been working round the clock to make safe a 500kg unexploded bomb.
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âPersonnel are working with plymouthcc & emergency services to evacuate residents.â
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An emergency alert has been sent to mobile phones warning people nearby to evacuate as a suspected second world war explosive device is moved to be disposed of at sea.
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Devon and Cornwall Police were called on Tuesday morning to St Michael Avenue in the Keyham area of Plymouth after the object was discovered in a garden, PA Media reported.
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Since then, a 300-metre cordon has been put in place around the site – affecting 1,219 properties and an estimated 3,250 people.
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On Friday, Plymouth City Council announced that the bomb would be taken by military convoy to the Torpoint Ferry slipway to be disposed of at sea.
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People living within 300 metres of the route the bomb will travel have been told they must leave their homes by 2pm on Friday for their own city.
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An alert was sent to mobile devices in the area shortly after 12pm on Friday, stating: âSevere Alert. Issued by Plymouth City Council.
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âThe WWII bomb found in Keyham will be transported today 23 February 2024 at 2pm to Torpoint Ferry slipway via Saltash Road.
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âA time limited cordon will be in place along this route between 2pm until an estimated 5pm. You are asked to leave and stay away from the cordoned area for this time period.
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âFor more information about the route, cordon and support – go to the Plymouth City Council website. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.â
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important events
how did we get here?
stephen morris
The drama began when a builder hit a metal object with a spade on St Michael Avenue in Keyham. At first he thought it was just a piece of rusty metal. Upon closer inspection, its size and shape made him stop and the police were called.
On Tuesday afternoon, Plymouth City Council declared a major incident and asked all residents living within 200 meters (approximately 1,200 people) to leave their homes.
Once residents left, more than 100 military personnel arrived, including police, firefighters, the Royal Navy’s explosive ordnance disposal team, search and rescue teams and emergency response charities. In total, approximately 1,000 experts participated.
On Thursday, the cordon was extended to exactly 309 meters, taking in 1,219 properties and an estimated 3,250 people. The city council advised people to take all their household documents with them, open their windows (to reduce the chance of them breaking in the event of an explosion) and remove their cars.
A rest center has been opened at the leisure complex “Life Center”. The Red Cross arrived to assist.
People worried about pets and photo albums left behind, and worried that their insurance would not cover “acts of war.” Resident Jordan Brett, who was staying at the hotel, said he was worried about his rabbit. “If there’s a controlled explosion there, we’ll need to make sure the two rabbits are rescued before that happens,” he said.
But most were prepared to wait patiently, recapturing some of the blitzkrieg spirit that Plymouth displayed 80 years earlier. “We need to sit tight,” Matt Wake said. “Be the best Englishman you can be. Turn on the kettle.”
stephen morris
This bomb is large, weighing 500 kg. And its location, wedged beneath crushed concrete, made it difficult to deal with.
Andrew Barr, a researcher specializing in explosion and impact mechanics at the University of Sheffield, told the Guardian that a bomb explosion could destroy homes in surrounding streets and cause significant damage to water and gas mains. He said there is. If the steel casing fragments, it can cause extensive damage and injury.
However, moving the bomb was not without its risks. “There are certainly risks associated with handling bombs and transporting them through densely populated areas of cities for disposal at sea,” Barr said. The decision to do so was not taken lightly. ”
stephen morris
The decision to move the bomb was communicated to everyone in the area by mobile phone using the UK government’s High Alert System, but Devon and Cornwall Police said they were unsure if the system would be used in a real emergency. I think this is the first time.
People tried to leave their homes and get into cars. “It feels like an evacuation like you see in disaster movies,” store clerk Steve Jones said as he was leaving. “Unless there’s a disaster, unless we hit a big hole.”
The Guardian was stationed on top of the Torpoint Ferry in Devonport Park, but was moved after police said it was too close.
Ministry of Defense says evacuation is “one of the largest since World War II”
The Ministry of Defense has announced that the number of people evacuated from Plymouth due to unexploded ordnance is one of the largest since World War II.
In a statement to We are working 24 hours a day to ensure safety.”
“Officials are working with Plymouth CC and emergency services to evacuate residents.”
Mainline railways will be closed to clear the cordon, ferries will be suspended and buses will be diverted.
Schools and nurseries will be closed to carry out the operation, while all businesses within the cordon have been told to evacuate, PA media reported.
Plymouth City Council’s assistant chief executive Giles Perritt said more than 1,000 officers and staff took part in the operation to safely remove the bomb.
He said: “Today is the result of a huge amount of planning.
“I would not be surprised to hear that since this incident, our officers and partners have begun to come up with the best and safest solutions to deal with this device.”
“We are all excited and are planning for a successful operation today.”
“After a huge amount of work, we believe we have adopted an approach that reduces the risk to human life and the catastrophic impact on properties surrounding the locations where the devices are currently installed.
“I think we have come up with a solution that minimizes the risks. There are still risks that we face, but I think we have managed to deal with them in the best way.
“I want to take this moment to say that my military colleagues who will be behind the wheel of that vehicle are taking risks that none of us would consider on a daily basis. I really take my hat off.’ Go to them. ”
Highly trained bomb disposal experts carefully remove the bomb from the garden before transporting it by road in a military convoy.
The council said an assessment found there was a very high risk of serious damage, including the destruction of a number of homes, if the bomb were to explode in the area where it was found.
PA media reports said people affected by the cordon should be able to return home by 5pm on Friday, with military advice making clear they must leave for their own safety.
Superintendent Phil Williams of Devon and Cornwall Police was holding a press conference in the Plymouth cordon when an emergency alert went off on his mobile device.
“As we have always done, we are not forcing anyone to leave their homes. All we can do is encourage them to do so and provide the best advice we can. That’s all,” he said.
Williams said it was expected to take 20 minutes for a military convoy to move the bomb from the garden to the sea.
An alert was sent to mobile devices in the area shortly after 12pm.
It read, “High alert.” Published by Plymouth City Council.
“The World War II bomb discovered at Keyham will be transported to Torpoint Ferry Airstrip via Saltash Road at 2pm today, 23 February 2024.”
“A time-limited cordon will be in place on this route from 2pm until an estimated 5pm.” We ask that you please stay away from restricted areas during this period.
“For more information on routes, cordons and support, please visit the Plymouth City Council website.” For more information, visit gov.uk/alerts.
Emergency alert issued after World War II bombs go unexploded
An emergency alert has been sent to mobile phones warning people nearby to evacuate as objects believed to be World War II explosives are dumped at sea.
According to PA Media, Devon and Cornwall Police were called to St Michael Avenue in the Keyham area of Plymouth on Tuesday morning after an object was found in a garden.
A 300m cordon has since been set up around the site, affecting 1,219 properties and an estimated 3,250 people.
On Friday, Plymouth City Council announced that the bomb would be taken by military convoy to the Torpoint Ferry slipway and disposed of at sea.
People living within 300 meters of the bomb route have been told to leave their homes and head to their cities by 2pm on Friday.
A “severe alert” warning was sent to mobile devices in the area shortly after 12pm on Friday. Published by Plymouth City Council.
“The World War II bomb discovered at Keyham is scheduled to be transported to Torpoint Ferry Airstrip via Saltash Road at 2pm today, 23 February 2024.”
“A time-limited cordon will be in place on this route from 2pm until an estimated 5pm.” We ask that you please stay away from restricted areas during this period.
“For more information on routes, cordons and support, please visit the Plymouth City Council website.” For more information, visit gov.uk/alerts.
