Enhanced munitions disposal operations undertaken - Enhanced number of confiscated firearms
Lower Saxony Munition Clearance Service Experiences Increased Workload in 2024
Specialists from the Lower Saxony Munition Clearance Service have dealt with a significant rise in their workload over the past year, according to the Ministry of the Interior in Hannover. In 2024, approximately 221 tons of unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the two World Wars were discovered and safely disposed of in 1,216 incidents. This represents an increase compared to the 1,023 incidents and 164 tons of UXO handled in 2023.
A representative from the Ministry of the Interior attributed this increase to the modernization offensive in road construction, which has led to the discovery of more UXO. An unexpected finding in the annual report was the rise in the number of non-transportable UXO. In 77 incidents, the munitions had to be detonated at the site of discovery—a marked increase from the 23 incidents reported in 2023.
Last year, nearly 23 tons of UXO were recovered from the Lower Saxony North Sea, compared to around 10 tons in 2023, due to the expansion of infrastructure. The Interior Minister of Lower Saxony, Daniela Behrens (SPD), emphasized the importance of the Munition Clearance Service, saying, "Thanks to the expertise and dedication of the highly qualified employees, dangerous explosives are reliably located and rendered safe every day."
Repeated findings of phosphorus incendiary bombs were reported in the annual report. When exposed to air, they ignite spontaneously and burn at a temperature of 1,300 degrees Celsius, producing harmful smoke.
In one instance last year, a farmer in the Diepholz district discovered an incendiary bomb while plowing his field, leading to smoke emissions. The fire department called in the Munition Clearance Service, which safely removed the bomb and the harmful phosphorus. In another incident, firefighters and police officers were injured by inhaling smoke during an attempt to cover a bomb with sand on a demolition site in Hannover.
unexploded ordnance remains a persistent issue in Germany due to its wartime history. While there is no evident increase in UXO discoveries in Lower Saxony from 2023 to 2024, the role of expert clearance teams, public awareness and evacuation protocols, and ongoing international cooperation ensure the safe management of these potentially dangerous devices.
- The increase in workload of the Lower Saxony Munition Clearance Service in 2024 can be linked to the modernization offensive in road construction and the expansion of infrastructure in the sea, leading to the discovery of more unexploded ordnance.
- The importance of the Munition Clearance Service was highlighted in 2024 due to incidents involving dangerous explosives, such as phosphorus incendiary bombs, which can ignite spontaneously and pose a threat to public health and safety, as seen in cases where farmers and emergency responders were injured by smoke emissions.
