A total of 22 WWII shells in Hungary have been discovered during construction work in the southern city of Baja, prompting a bomb disposal operation and temporary road closures.

The suspected explosive devices were found at the junction of Bokodi Road and Keleti Boulevard, according to Honvédelem, the official news portal of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Police subsequently alerted the military’s bomb disposal service.

22 WWII shells in Hungary removed by bomb disposal experts

Specialists from the Hungarian Defence Forces’ 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Riverine Guard Regiment were sent to the site.

During the operation, roads within a 150-metre radius of the excavation site were closed. The restrictions affected part of a nearby public cemetery, an industrial facility and approximately 50 people.

Bomb disposal experts eventually identified 22 unfired Hungarian artillery shells dating from the Second World War.

The military removed all of the explosive devices and transported them to a central collection facility, where they will later be destroyed under controlled conditions. No injuries were reported.

If you missed it: Hungarian Gripens alerted as man steals aircraft and flies toward Paks nuclear plant

Baja, a city on the Danube in southern Hungary, was affected by military operations during the closing stages of the Second World War. Explosive remnants from the conflict continue to be uncovered across Hungary during construction, excavation and infrastructure projects.

The Hungarian Defence Forces also published a photo gallery showing the shells and the bomb disposal operation in Baja.

What’s next? In neighbouring countries: Austrian government agrees to extend mandatory military service