I love go-booms.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

France’s Caen Evacuates 20,000 to Defuse World War II Bomb
February 14, 2010, 11:28 AM EST
By Rudy Ruitenberg

Feb. 14 (Bloomberg) -- France’s city of Caen in Normandy evacuated its center, moving almost a fifth of its residents, after finding a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) U.S. bomb from World War II at a building site.

The explosive charge was disarmed by a bomb squad around 11:30 a.m. local time, and the security perimeter that had forced the evacuation of almost 20,000 people was lifted at 1:45 p.m., the city of Caen said on its Web site today.

All inhabitants in a radius of 800 meters (about half-mile) around the bomb site were evacuated from 9 a.m., affecting about 7,000 households and 1,000 student dwellings, the city said. Caen was bombed by Allied forces in July 1944 during the Battle of Normandy, as British and Canadian troops fought to take the city from German forces following the D-Day landings.

“There was a building site, and the bomb was found during digging,” said Romain Declos, a spokesman for the city. “It’s right in the city. It’s a 500-kilogram bomb, so the law called for a perimeter of 800 meters.”

The operation was the first of its kind in Caen since 1997. The local prefecture and city will pay the costs, Desclos said.

Caen had 109,630 inhabitants in a total of 61,446 households in 2007, according to the city’s Web site. The city is about 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) south of Sword beach, the easternmost of the five D-Day landing beaches.

[klr]

France’s Caen Evacuates 20,000 to Defuse World War II Bomb
February 14, 2010, 11:28 AM EST
By Rudy Ruitenberg

Feb. 14 (Bloomberg) -- France’s city of Caen in Normandy evacuated its center, moving almost a fifth of its residents, after finding a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) U.S. bomb from World War II at a building site.

The explosive charge was disarmed by a bomb squad around 11:30 a.m. local time, and the security perimeter that had forced the evacuation of almost 20,000 people was lifted at 1:45 p.m., the city of Caen said on its Web site today.

All inhabitants in a radius of 800 meters (about half-mile) around the bomb site were evacuated from 9 a.m., affecting about 7,000 households and 1,000 student dwellings, the city said. Caen was bombed by Allied forces in July 1944 during the Battle of Normandy, as British and Canadian troops fought to take the city from German forces following the D-Day landings.

“There was a building site, and the bomb was found during digging,” said Romain Declos, a spokesman for the city. “It’s right in the city. It’s a 500-kilogram bomb, so the law called for a perimeter of 800 meters.”

The operation was the first of its kind in Caen since 1997. The local prefecture and city will pay the costs, Desclos said.

Caen had 109,630 inhabitants in a total of 61,446 households in 2007, according to the city’s Web site. The city is about 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) south of Sword beach, the easternmost of the five D-Day landing beaches.

500 Kg US bomb? The US of A uses imperial weights for its bombs to this day. Damn metric Frenchies.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Anybody else remember "Danger, UXB"?

[Rum]

Me no likey V big booms though...Oh noes.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Me no likey V big booms though...Oh noes.

"The lovely flowers
Bloom in the desert."

[klr]

I wonder how big an area they'll have to evacuate if the final mine at Messines is ever detonated?

Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography. - remark by General Plumer to his staff the evening before the attack

Or maybe it wouldn't be so bad:

One of the mines was detonated in a thunderstorm on 17 June 1955: the only casualty was a dead cow.

Roast beef!

[Feck]

I like go -booms go -Wooof 's and long stick go-boom's ......shame I live in a nanny-state really

[klr]

I like go -booms go -Wooof 's and long stick go-boom's ......shame I live in a nanny-state really

Shame for you, but not for the rest of us ...