Plymouth Evacuates 1,200 Homes Over WWII Bomb

Authorities in Plymouth, England, have evacuated more than 1,200 homes after uncovering a 250-kilogram German SC250 bomb from World War II at a building site in the Southway neighborhood, with a controlled detonation now planned for Friday.

The device was discovered Wednesday evening near Flamborough Road. Royal Navy and Army unexploded ordnance specialists assessed it overnight and determined it could not be safely moved. Colonel Nick Handy, the senior explosives officer leading the operation, explained that X-ray inspections failed to provide a clear image of one fuse. "The simple reason is, the fuses are the thing that makes it go bang," he told reporters. "Unfortunately we cannot get a definitive X-ray of the second fuse and therefore its not safe to move that item. So were going to blow it in situ."

A 400-meter exclusion zone now surrounds the site, expanded from an initial 100 meters as precautions increased. Plymouth City Council reported approximately 1,260 households affected, with Devon and Cornwall Police and volunteers conducting door-to-door visits to urge compliance. While most residents left, some initially refused evacuation orders. The Southway Youth and...