276 shells dating from First World War were discovered on Tuesday during roadworks in Wortegem-Petegem (East Flanders).
Emergency services and the Service for the Removal and Destruction of Explosive Devices (SEDEE/DOVO) promptly arrived at the site when the construction company Danilith-Delmulle discovered the shells, each measuring 7.7 cm in length. No one was evacuated, however, as the area was already closed off due to works.
"The shells were found in what DOVO calls a dumping ground," local mayor Luc Vander Meeren (Open VLD) told Het Laatse Nieuws. "We initially thought that there were about a hundred, but it turned out to be many more. They have now all been dug up and taken by DOVO to their site in Poelkapelle where they will be defused."
The mayor added that local residents were aware of the situation, and authorities had temporarily shut off the gas network in the interest of safety. They have since re-opened and works have continued.
