Hundreds of homes were evacuated in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, after a suspected World War II-era bomb was discovered. The “suspected historic piece of munition” was uncovered at the Rivenwood housing development, prompting a response from the Police Service of Northern Ireland over the weekend.
The operation, which involves a bomb disposal unit and heavy equipment, is expected to last several days, with a controlled explosion slated to occur to remove any danger posed. The device was uncovered during construction work in the area, with British Army personnel using diggers to bury the device in sand before the detonation takes place.
Local residents received a leaflet on August 17, 2024, asking them to evacuate the area by the next day, due to the “possibility of risk to life and property.” The Ards Blair Mayne Leisure Complex has been transformed into an emergency support center while the evacuation notice is in place, and barricades have been set up to prevent anyone from approaching the scene.
“If it was to go off it would be devastating, the police’s priority is to ensure it doesn’t,” Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Jim Shannon explained to the BBC. “The army bomb disposal unit will be very proactive and very positive, their job is to make it safe and thereby let people back into their homes as soon as possible.
According to the BBC, it’s currently unknown how the bomb came to be in Newtownards. That being said, nearby Belfast was targeted by the Luftwaffe between April-May 1941, in an event dubbed the “Belfast Blitz.”
As the city played an important role when it came to supplying the Allied forces, the Germans sent hundreds of bombers to drop incendiary bombs on Belfast via four air assaults. The deadliest attack took place on April 14 – Easter Tuesday – which killed 900 civilians and injured another 1,500.
Over the course of the Blitz, over 1,000 individuals lost their lives, with upwards of 50,000 homes being destroyed or damaged. After this, munitions continued to be occasionally dropped on Northern Ireland over the course of World War II.
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It’s anticipated the operation will take at least five days to complete.