This work crew takes a big risk when it goes to work – defusing 500 pound bombs.

Another six World War II duds had to be defused to day near Hannover, Germany. This time the culprits were dropped by the British – six unexploded 500 pound bombs left over from the war. They were found in places up to nine feet deep and were removed, but not before some 15,000 people from nearby residential areas had been evacuated and the affected areas closed off as a precautionary measure. The A2 Autobahn that runs from Berlin to near Dortmund had also had to be closed down during the operation, causing a massive traffic jam. More than 60 years after the end of World War II, defusing unexploded bombs dropped by the Allies is a regular event, taking place several times a year as construction projects unearth the duds. The last of the six bombs defused today was a bit of a problem – the bomb squad had some difficulty removing the fuse, but was finally able to complete the job by using a remote control wrench. I don’t think I would want to take a jammed fuse out of a 500 pound bomb by hand, either!