Rare unexploded World War II bomb near Litvínov leads to evacuation of residents
An unexploded 500-pound bomb from the Second World War, which was found on Wednesday on the grounds of a chemical plant in Záluží near Litvínov has led to the evacuation of 600 residents. Nothing like this has ever been found in the modern history of Czechia. The bomb is equipped with a chemical mechanism that can postpone its detonation for up to six days.
As a safety measure, the factory has been partially shut down, and a 1.5 kilometers security perimeter has been set up for six days (until August 27), leading to the evacuation of local residents.
Police originally closed the road between Most and Litvínov, but after the shutdown of production at the refinery, the main road is passable again, confirms Orlen Unipetrol spokesman Pavel Kaidl.
The danger and rarity of this find, according to police, lies in the initiating mechanism, police spokesman Ondřej Moravčík said.
“In this case, the bomb contains a long-lasting chemical time lighter, which is very dangerous not only in its unpredictability. It can be set for up to 144 hours, i.e. six days."
Explosives experts will decide today how to defuse the unexploded bomb on the grounds of the chemical plant in Záluží near Litvínov.
Karel Čadil, the director of the police bomb squad, told Radiožurnál that the bomb squad will consult with German colleagues who have more experience with this type of bomb.
“The building will be affected. Of course, due to the impact of the shock pressure wave and the seismic wave, the internal network can be damaged. Of course, we will try to minimize the damage due to the stress effect. This is a special chemical plant where the overhead tanks are the conduits for gas and other explosives.”
Unexploded munitions from the Second World War have been found repeatedly in the Most region in the past. Most recently, it was an aerial bomb on the grounds of a chemical plant in May 2021.
At that time, 5,400 people had to be evacuated from the site, and the road between Most and Litvínov was briefly closed. A pyrotechnician defused the unexploded 250-kilogram aerial bomb, and then it was removed from the site for controlled disposal.
During the Second World War, Most became the target of large air raids by the Allied air forces. The chemical refinery Sudetenländische Treibstoff Werke in Załuži was established to meet the fuel supply needs of the German war machine and was a major producer of synthetic petrol.
So, the factory did not escape the attention of the Allies, who bombed it for the first time in mid-May 1944 and for the second time in July 1944. The aerial bombing in the spring of 1944 was part of a wider campaign known as the Battle of the Gasoline.
