Bethnal Green Residents Heave Sigh of Relief As WW2 Bomb Safely Defused

by Benson Agoha | Whitechapel

Residents of Temple Street, Bethnal Green, East London, who were forced to sleep away from their homes last night, have heaved a sigh of relief today after bomb experts successfully defused and removed the bomb.

Experts From The Army Bomb Disposal Unit
remove the bomb after safely defusing it.
(Credit: via itv).

Builders uncovered the unexplored device, dating back to the second world war and described by an Army spokesman as being "potentially more dangerous today than the day it was made".

A resident described how she came out of her hers to see her vicinity looking like "the zombie film 28 Days Later", after residents abandoned their homes.

The 500lb device prompted a "Get out now!" directive, as the area was taken over by disposal experts and police officers maintaining a police cordon.

Today, the unexploded Second World War bomb, said to have the capacity to "cause mass destruction" if detonated, has been sorted and residents will hope to sleep in their homes in peace.

Dozens of families spent the night in a school hall in east London yesterday. As work tarried, fears grew that a second night away from home was imminent.

The bomb was believed to have been one of several dropped over during the German bombing raids in the early 1940s, but did not detonate, according to an itv report.

[ Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs released a statement saing: "I am pleased to announce that residents can return home as the unexploded bomb has been safely removed and defused. Many thanks to the emergency services who worked tirelessly with us to make the area safe as soon as possible.
– JOHN BIGGS, MAYOR OF TOWER HAMLETS" ]

* by Benson Agoha (with lead and contributions from Darryl Alisto and itv).