The bomb did not present any risk of explosion.
The operation, which started in the early afternoon on Sunday, involved the evacuation of the entire area. Once a safety perimeter was established and a shield erected, a team of Civil Security deminers removed the WW2 81mm phosphorus mortar shell.
According to Isabelle Denis-Hoareau, quoted in the Républicain lorrain, Commander of the Metz Gendarmerie, the bomb was what was leftover of a German shell which had already exploded. While the outside remained intact, the phosphorus gas had escaped, posing no risk of explosion. Thanks to the security perimeter, the public was also out of danger.
Emergency services remind the general population that any artillery found should be left alone and under no circumstances touched. Instead they should maintain a safe distance and alert emergency services.
