A World War II bomb exploded during an unplanned detonation, police have said.
The 1m-long bomb, which weighed around 250kg, was found by a contractor who was working in the area on Tuesday 7 February.
Efforts to safely dispose of the bomb had been ongoing since Tuesday, with specialists building a protective sand barrier around the bomb.
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A 200m inner cordon was put in place, alongside a 200-400m outer cordon, with residents living within the area being advised to evacuate.
The ‘unplanned detonation’ took place in Great Yarmouth. In a statement, Norfolk Police said all army and emergency services personnel at the scene had been accounted for.
In a post on social media, the force said: “We can confirm the unexploded World War II bomb in Great Yarmouth has detonated. This was not a planned detonation & happened during slow burn work to disarm the explosives. All army & emergency service personnel are accounted for. We will bring you further info when we have it.”
Local residents took to social media to say they had felt buildings shake and a loud bang had sounded out.
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On Twitter, one person said: “I work across the quay near Kings Street and whole building rattled, was surreal.”
Another wrote: “I can't believe I heard, and felt, the Great Yarmouth bomb explode. That must have been a hell of an explosion!”
A third commented: “So glad everyone is safe, that’s what we were worrying about when it shook our entire apartment and we’re just outside the cordoned zone.”
It had been hoped army specialists could carry out a ‘slow burn’ of the explosives which would allow the material to burn off.
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In a press release earlier today, Norfolk Police noted: “As with other options, it does carry a risk of an unintended detonation, but this has been assessed by experts and this approach is seen as the best course of action.”
Speaking prior to the unplanned detonation, Norfolk Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Nick Davison and the Chair of the Strategic Co-ordinating Group set up through Norfolk’s Local Resilience Forum, said: “This has been a painstakingly long process but public safety and that of the people involved in the operation has been at the heart of decision making.
“This the final phase of a delicate operation which has cause much disruption in the town, but we’re hopeful this could be resolved soon and that cordons can be lifted, if everything goes to plan.”
Topics: UK News
Claire Reid