The bomb disposal operation discovered on April 10 in Colombes took a more complex turn on Sunday: specialists were unable to extract the detonator from the device.
The Second World War bomb’s detonator extraction failed on Sunday at midday in Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine), forcing the bomb disposal experts to bury the device for explosion, as announced by the police prefecture, prolonging the wait for thousands of evacuated residents.
Two configurations were considered from the start of the intervention at 10:30. Specialists from the central laboratory of the police prefecture attempted to extract the detonator from the device discovered on April 10 on Champarons street, however, this maneuver was unfortunately not possible, as stated by the prefecture.
Therefore, the bomb disposal experts will bury the munition in a specially dug two-meter deep pit before detonating it to neutralize the device. These operations will last “several more hours,” as confirmed by the police prefecture, extending the total duration of the disposal up to eight hours. This setback prolongs the wait for thousands of evacuated residents within a radius of 450 meters since early morning.
Alerted by the FR-Alert system, residents had to leave their homes on foot and wait in five reception centers opened by the municipalities of Colombes, Asnières-sur-Seine, and Bois-Colombes. Civil protection volunteers and municipal employees distribute coffee and biscuits while entertaining children with comics, hoops, and Kapla construction games. A room equipped with camp beds was set up separately for the rest of the 220 vulnerable people taken care of by the rescue services. The operations may seem long for a Sunday, but according to several residents interviewed by AFP, they are well informed and feel confident.
Nearly 800 agents secure the completely deserted area where police cars make final rounds through megaphones in the late morning behind the barriers. Within an expanded perimeter of one kilometer prohibiting any outdoor gatherings, evacuees walk among vehicles from the Red Cross, firefighters, gendarmerie, and police.
The zone remains under strict surveillance and aerial surveillance to prevent opportunistic burglaries, while the traffic of six RATP bus lines is disrupted. On Thursday, the prefect of Hauts-de-Seine, Alexandre Bruguière, described this intervention as “risky” requiring a “high level of preparation.” Residents will have to wait until 7:00 PM at the latest to receive a final SMS authorizing them to return home.
