An unexploded World War II bomb disrupts Paris

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Paris woke up to unexpected news: an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered near Gare du Nord, the world's third-busiest train station. The discovery, made by workers on a railway bridge replacement project, paralyzed train traffic and affected nearly 600,000 people. Here, we explore how this historic event disrupted modern life and how authorities managed to restore order.

In the early hours of Friday, workers operating 2.5 km from Paris, in Saint-Denis, discovered a 500 kg World War II bomb containing 200 kg of explosives. According to a spokesperson for SNCF, France's national railway company, the device was "truly massive" and posed "a serious threat to life." Buried two meters deep between the tracks, it was discovered during overnight work to replace a railway bridge.

After the discovery, bomb disposal units arrived quickly and established an initial security perimeter of 200 meters, which was later extended to 500 meters. Paris police, with 300 officers on the ground, evacuated buildings with windows facing the bomb and closed sections of the A1 motorway and the city's ring road, intensifying the chaos in the French capital.

The Gare du Nord, which serves 700,000 passengers daily and connects Paris with destinations such as London, Brussels, and northern France, was completely paralyzed. Nearly 500 trains were canceled, including Eurostar services, which connect the city with the United Kingdom and Belgium.

Despite the chaos, the atmosphere at Gare du Nord remained relatively calm. Dozens of railway employees and security personnel assisted passengers, who sought information in front of red signs announcing the disruptions. However, the lack of up-to-date details on mobile apps caused frustration among passengers.

French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot announced that bomb disposal operations had been successfully completed, although no details were provided on how the World War II bomb was neutralized. “We are delighted and relieved that these concerns are over,” he said. Train services began gradually resuming from 6 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. GMT), and closed roads reopened shortly after.

Eurostar confirmed that services between Paris, London, and Brussels would operate normally on Saturday, March 8, adding two additional trains to compensate affected passengers: one from London to Paris in the morning and another from Paris to London in the afternoon. This effort sought to minimize the impact on the weekend plans of thousands of travelers. 

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