Austrian police evacuated hundreds of people from Linz’s main train station on Thursday after finding a large, unexploded World War II bomb — the second such discovery in two weeks, authorities said.
The bomb was found at about 8.30am (6.30am GMT) near the newly opened station in Linz, about 200km west of Vienna, police spokesperson Alexander Niederwimmer told the Austria Press Agency.
The 250kg aircraft bomb was buried about 1m in the ground directly beneath train tracks, officials said. Police evacuated 800 railway employees and hundreds of commuters.
Explosives experts successfully defused the bomb after police closed nearby streets to traffic as a precaution, and rail traffic had resumed normal operation by noon, said Mario Brunnmayr, a spokesperson for Austria’s national railway.
On October 7, a suspected World War II-era bomb exploded, injuring three people and ripping a 3m crater at a thermal power station where it was discovered.
Austria is littered with thousands of bombs left over from the war, many dropped by the Allies who targeted train stations and other key infrastructure. — Sapa-AP