Swimmers find hand grenade from former Yugoslavia in Zurich river
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Swimmers in Zurich discovered a hand grenade in the Limmat River near the Unterer Letten swimming area.
- The grenade, originating from the former Yugoslavia, was safely defused by Swiss army bomb disposal experts.
- No injuries were reported, and the area was temporarily cordoned off by police during the operation.
A routine day of swimming in Zurich took an unexpected turn when several bathers discovered a hand grenade submerged in the Limmat River. The alarming find occurred near the popular Unterer Letten swimming spot, prompting an immediate response from authorities.
According to the Zurich municipal police, the grenade was located approximately one meter from the riverbank. The swimmers who spotted the object alerted the police, who then called in specialists from the Swiss army's explosive ordnance disposal unit. These experts, working in conjunction with the municipal river police, successfully retrieved and defused the device.
Further investigation by the army's bomb squad confirmed the object to be a hand grenade originating from the former Yugoslavia. The police secured the area during the operation, and the grenade was subsequently transported by the Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine for a controlled explosion.
Fortunately, the incident concluded without any injuries. The timely and efficient response from the bomb disposal unit ensured that the potentially dangerous device was neutralized safely, allowing the public swimming area to eventually reopen.
They determined that it was a hand grenade originating from the former Yugoslavia. It was recovered after 3:30 p.m.
Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.