British Army to disarm 2000lb German bomb at London Olympics site

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The British Army will tonight undertake a huge operation to disarm a massive 2000lb German bomb that has been found at the site of the 2012 London Olympics.

The bomb fell during the Luftwaffe's Blitz of London.

Over 60 years after the War, British lives are still being put at risk...

Army tackles ticking 2,000lb German bomb threatening to blow up Olympics site

By Daily Mail Reporter
05th June 2008
Daily Mail




A huge operation will take place tonight to disarm a German bomb that threatens up to two square kilometres of east London.

The 2,000lb device, believed to contain 1,000lb of high explosives, has been encased in a sand and wood 'igloo' to absorb any blast if it goes off.

Tonight Royal Engineers plan to cut through the metal casing of the 60-year-old device, which measures five foot by two foot. They will 'steam' the explosive so it becomes a safe liquid.


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Potentially deadly: Soldiers will disarm the German bomb, which dates back to the Second World War, tonight


The Second World War bomb was dredged from the banks of the Lea near Three Mills Island in Bromley-by-Bow near the 2012 Olympics site.

Disposal experts have already disabled its fuse after it began to tick. At one point they asked police to consider evacuating up to 1.7 square kilometres - an area which includes thousands of people, schools and key parts of the rail and Underground network.

Bomb disposal officer Captain Si Oates was sent back to the device to deal with its fuse.


The 80,000 capacity stadium that is being built near the site for the 2012 Olympics

He poured a salt solution on to it to 'freeze it' and then deployed a powerful magnet in case a timer had also been set off.

'This would have been an enormous blast with a devastating impact on the surrounding area from the point of impact. We are talking about a ton of explosive here,' a military source said.


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A map shows the area in east London where the Blitz bomb lies

A 200-metre exclusion zone is now in effect around it the device.

The plan to make the nine foot-long bomb safe will bring travel chaos from 10pm tonight as nearby Tube and rail lines are closed to avoid passengers being put in danger. Local bus services will be cancelled or diverted.

Commuters have been advised to make alternative travel plans until the bomb, which was discovered on Monday, is moved.

Police said around six residents in the area were evacuated as well as a number of businesses in the 200-metre exclusion zone.

Borough Commander Simon O'Brien said: 'It has been an interesting few days for us, which has been happening in the background while London eats and sleeps. Our Royal Engineer colleagues have been extremely brave.

'The military originally wanted a kilometre and half exclusion zone and that give you an idea of the area that could have been affected.

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