An unexploded, 500-pound bomb, which remained undisturbed since World War II, was discovered Monday in London. It was unearthed by contractors who were working at a construction site on Temple Street in Bethnal Green, according to CNN.
Read more about our response to the 250kg unexploded WW2 bomb discovered in #BethnalGreen https://t.co/7VQWpABVG8 https://t.co/b5TQCsg0hk
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 10, 2015
The UK Ministry notes that the bomb was likely dropped by Germany during a bombing raid in the early 1940s but failed to detonate.
More than 150 people were evacuated from homes and offices in the area and were told to seek refuge at a shelter set up by authorities in a nearby school, according to ABC News. Furthermore, an exclusion zone from 100 to 200 meters was set up around the bomb, leading to major traffic delays.
"We understand that this will cause inconvenience for a lot of residents," a council spokesman said late Monday.
Bomb disposal experts from 621 Squadron, 11 EOD Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps, with experience in Iraq, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, were called to defuse the unexploded munition.
Similar bombs were discovered in two areas of London, Wembley and Bermondsey, earlier this year.
This story comes just a few days after an active grenade was found in the parking lot of a McDonald's in Thurmont, Md.
