Paris’ Gare du Nord train station, the busiest in the city, came to a standstill on Friday after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered near the station. As per reports, the 500kg bomb was found two metres deep at a building site north of Gare du Nord. Rail workers were putting up a new bridge over the railway lines when they found the bomb. The unexpected discovery halted all services at the station and caused major rail service disruption across France, the UK, and Belgium.
Unexploded World War II Bomb Cause Travel Chaos In Europe
According to Hindustan Times, trains to and from Paris faced major disruption after the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb near Gare du Nord station, the world’s third-busiest train station. Reportedly, around 500 trains were cancelled, and the disruption affected around 600,000 people at the train station.
While talking to the press, a spokesperson for France’s national rail company SNCF said that the bomb was “really huge” and was discovered by construction workers on a site to replace a railway bridge. It was discovered 2.5 kilometres outside of Paris, along railway tracks in the nearby town of Saint-Denis.
The 500kg bomb had 200kg explosives and was described as a “serious threat” to people’s lives. Both domestic and international travel at Paris’s Gare du Nord station was affected after the bomb was found. All Eurostar international services to and from the station were halted and this severely affected travel to London and Brussels.
Also Read: Cameras, Waiting Areas & More, Railways To Implement Crowd Control Measures At 60 Major Stations
Services Slowly Resume After Bomb Disposal
As per BBC’s latest update, the unexploded World War II bomb found in Paris was defused by Friday evening. The local rail traffic resumed at Gare du Nord, but French operators, SNCF and RATP, said the schedule remained disrupted. Eurostar services are also expected to be back to normal on Saturday. They will run two extra return train journeys to London and Brussels to accommodate the stranded passengers.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@SputnikInt
For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and the latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.