World War II bomb alert closes runway

Tuesday 03 June 2008

The unexploded World War II bomb which caused Amsterdam Schiphol airport to close one of its runways on Monday evening will be dismantled on Wednesday, reports the Volkskrant.

It was originally thought making the bomb safe would have to wait until Thursday morning because experts recommend a 54-hour safety margin between the time a bomb is discovered and its dismantling.

However, on Tuesday bomb disposal experts said the delay mechanism inside the explosive is 36 hours and not 54 hours.

The bomb was discovered during excavation work on Monday afternoon in the village of Vijfhuizen. The inhabitants of the six houses and the workers at a fairground visiting the village were evacuated.

The bomb is an English 500 pounder, according to the Telegraaf. A similar bomb was discovered and made safe in the same area in 2006.

© DutchNews.nl

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