A historic World War Two bomb in Plymouth was successfully detonated after evacuating over 1,200 homes. The controlled explosion occurred on May 1, 2026, at a construction site in Southway.
Officials evacuated approximately 1,260 households within a 400-metre cordon. An evacuation centre was established at Southway Youth and Community Centre.
The bomb is a 250kg German SC250 air-dropped weapon discovered earlier this week. Bomb disposal teams deemed it too unstable to move and opted for a controlled detonation.
Residents received instructions to leave windows open and turn off water prior to the explosion. Sand—about 450 tonnes—was placed around the bomb to mitigate the blast’s impact.
As of midday, debris from the detonation scattered across the area. Smoke was visible following the explosion. Local authorities have maintained the cordon for safety.
Three schools closed during the operation to ensure student safety. Councillor Sally Haydon expressed gratitude towards the bomb disposal teams for their efforts.
Colonel Nick Handy warned about potential damage from the blast, stating, “We have to be realistic; when that thing goes ‘bang’, there will be damage.” An unnamed resident described the explosion as a “big, big bang; you couldn’t miss this one.”