PARIS:
Europe’s busiest train station, Paris’ Gare du Nord, came to a standstill on Friday as authorities worked to defuse an unexploded bomb from World War Two. The operation led to the cancellation of all Eurostar services for the day and caused significant disruptions to local traffic.
The 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) explosive was discovered around 2:30 AM GMT during construction work on a bridge in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. Railway workers found the device buried approximately 2 meters underground.
According to police, the area is known to contain remnants from the war. Although the bomb was located 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) away from the station, it was situated beneath the train tracks, as confirmed in a post on X by one of the rail network’s official accounts.
The discovery and subsequent defusal operation highlighted the lingering presence of wartime hazards in the region, underscoring the challenges of urban development in historically significant areas.
