Two unexploded shells were detected at a French military site where an illegal rave, known as a "free party," took place over the weekend, France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said on May 3.
On May 2, bomb disposal experts had to step in after one of the shells was found near the rave site. Nuñez later told reporters that a second shell was "being dealt with" after surveying the area in a helicopter.
The unauthorized rave, attended by up to 40,000 people from France and other countries according to the organizers’ estimates, started on May 1. The firing range near Bourges, Nuñez’s hometown, was a deliberate choice of location in protest against the newly proposed legislation to increase penalties for free party organizers and participants.
Another local official, Philippe Le Moing Surzur, warned that partying at the site was "extremely dangerous due to the unexploded ordnance" that dates back to the times of World War II.
World War II officially ended in 1945. But for people living in the countries that participated in the conflict, hidden dangers still lurk beneath the surface. During these battles, military forces on all sides experimented with heavy artillery and massive airdrops.
Thousands of these bombs hit the ground without ever detonating and remain hidden for decades. Every year, excavation crews and ordinary citizens accidentally uncover these dangerous relics.
In this gallery, we look at some of the largest unexploded bombs ever discovered. Click on to know more.