Attempt to defuse giant bomb ends with a bang

The biggest World War 2 bomb ever found in Poland exploded under water yesterday as navy divers tried to defuse it.

More than 750 people had been evacuated from the area near the Piast Canal outside the town of Swinoujscie where the Tallboy bomb used by Britain’s Royal Air Force was found. It weighed nearly 5400kg, including 2400kg of explosive.

‘‘The deflagration process turned into detonation. The object can be considered as neutralised — it will not pose any more threat,’’ Second Lieutenant Grzegorz Lewandowski, the spokesman of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla, was quoted as saying by staterun news agency PAP.

‘‘All mine divers were outside the danger zone.’’