A World War II bomb disrupted train services at Paris’ busy Gare du Nord station on Friday. Officials reported that the bomb was discovered near the tracks during maintenance work in Saint Denis, just 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the station.
The French national rail company, SNCF, confirmed the explosive was from the WWII era. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot announced that the bomb, containing 200 kilograms of explosives, had been safely defused.
Train services from Gare du Nord were set to resume gradually after 1700 GMT, but Tabarot warned that disruptions would continue throughout the day. The station is the busiest in France, serving Eurostar, high-speed, and local trains, with an estimated 700,000 passengers commuting there daily.
Due to the situation, train traffic was completely halted, leading to the cancellation of all Eurostar services to and from Paris. Travelers were advised to reschedule their trips for a later date. However, Eurostar routes from London to Brussels and Amsterdam, which bypass Paris, remained operational.
The bomb discovery also impacted road traffic in the city. Portions of the A1 highway and parts of the ring road around Paris were closed as police worked to safely disarm the explosive.
Incidents like this are not uncommon in France, as unexploded bombs from both World Wars are occasionally found, though they’re usually discovered outside of heavily populated areas.
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