A mustard gas bomb dating back to the First World War has been uncovered in a bale of straw in Langemark in West Flanders, after the detonator exploded when a farmer was moving the straw into his barn.
As VRT NWS reports, the bomb exploded on Saturday, and it was fortunate that nobody was injured.
"The explosion was significant, causing major damage to agricultural machines. No one was injured, but people were very frightened; it could have been much worse," commented local fire captain Dirk Vandekerckhove on the VRT channel.
The shell was then placed on another vehicle, but the bomb started to leak.
"A puddle of liquid formed under the bomb," stated the farmer who discovered the device.
It appeared to be mustard gas, also known as yperite, named after the Flemish city of Ypres where this chemical weapon was first used on a large scale during the First World War.
"Yperite is a very aggressive and dangerous substance," explained Captain Vandekerckhove, who took no risks.
"The contamination was neutralised by a specialised team of firefighters from Westhoek," he said.
There was no evacuation order for the area, but if the entire bomb had exploded, "it would have been a disaster," he added.
In addition to the chemical impact, the explosion could have caused even more damage.
"The bomb disposal experts who came to remove the bomb said part of the cow barn could have been destroyed," said Captain Vandekerckhove.
