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Ten years ago: bomb killed three explosives experts in Göttingen

2020-06-01T01:31:05.047Z


Three bomb experts died in Göttingen on June 1, 2010, six others were seriously injured.Three bomb experts died in Göttingen on June 1, 2010, six others were seriously injured. Ten years ago, three explosives experts were killed in an explosion in Göttingen ( Lower Saxony ) . The detonation was heard across the city. It quickly became clear that the detonator could have something to do with the explosion. Göttingen - To 21:36 that Tuesday trembled in Göttingen ( Lower Saxony ) still...


Three bomb experts died in Göttingen on June 1, 2010, six others were seriously injured.

  • Ten years ago, three explosives experts were killed in an explosion in Göttingen ( Lower Saxony ) .
  • The detonation was heard across the city.
  • It quickly became clear that the detonator could have something to do with the explosion.
  • Göttingen - To 21:36 that Tuesday trembled in Göttingen ( Lower Saxony ) still kilometers away, the windows, as a ten talents bomb about an hour before the actual defusing there was an explosion and three members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service Lower Saxony tragically in Death ripped. The men aged 38, 52 and 55 were immediately at the bomb when preparing the action . Two of her colleagues survived the explosion, seriously injured.

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): Loud detonation

    The detonation was heard in the entire city of Göttingen (Lower Saxony). The splinters sometimes spread over several hundred meters. The heaviest piece of metal, weighing about seven kilos, flew about 700 meters and crashed through the roof of a residential building. There were five bomb splinters in total.

    During construction work on Schützenplatz, unexploded bombs from the Second World War were found in May 2010 . A ten-hundredweight bomb with a long-term acid igniter was defused on May 27. There was nothing to suggest that a second unexploded ordnance located at a depth of seven meters should experience difficulties. At that time, 7200 residents had to leave their apartments as a precaution. The station should be closed in the late evening.

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): investigation of the explosion site

    A 25-member special commission later investigated the location of the explosion and reconstructed the case. It soon became clear that the detonation could have something to do with the bomb's acid detonator . "It is probably no longer possible to determine what happened in the bomb fitted with the acid detonator, so that the explosion occurred," said Volker Warnecke, head of the police special commission, a few days after the explosion.

    The sympathy after the accident was great. Among other things, a donation account was set up. 400 people attended a moving memorial service for the three blasted masters in the Johanniskirche in Göttingen.

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    After the tragic explosion on June 1, 2010: Three members of the Lower Saxony Ordnance Disposal Service were killed.

    © Bea Decker / dpa

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): great sympathy

    "It is incredible for us, we are infinitely sad," said superintendent Friedrich Selter. Ultimately, the three killed victims of World War II.

    Ten years ago: Bomb killed three explosives experts in Göttingen https://t.co/CJe6CEk9eT # Göttingen #hna

    - HNA Göttingen (@HNA_Goettingen) May 29, 2020

    Later 700 people said goodbye to the bomb victims in the market church in Hanover . The then Interior Minister Uwe Schünemann (CDU) made the funeral speech: "Her death makes us aware that the Second World War still casts long, dark shadows."

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): finds in the region

    To date, unexploded bombs from the Second World War have been found in and around Göttingen (Lower Saxony). There are also false alarms: As in October 2019, when a supposed bomb was found near the shooting range, which turned out to be a metal barrel. A month later a World War II bomb was found near Rosdorf, which had to be blown up.

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): commemoration

    On Whit Monday, June 1st, the victim of the accident will not be public

    thought. A wreath is laid for this.

    By Bernd Schlegel with dpa

    Interview: You don't get the residual risk down to zero

    In the accident with terrible consequences ten years ago, Thomas Bleicher, head of the Lower Saxony Ordnance Disposal Service, was on site. We talked to him about his experiences.

    How do you feel about going to Göttingen for the commemoration on Monday?

    Every time I go to Göttingen (Lower Saxony) , I have a slight grumble in my stomach. Then you always remember that day. At that time, I was the head of operations for the deployed team for the disposal of ordnance in Göttingen.

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): processing of events

    How did you handle the events from back then?

    We were still part of the police back then . Since I am a police officer myself, this means that I often come into contact with events in which there are serious accidents, so that I knew how to react and act. Afterwards we received personal support from the Social Science Service of the Central Police Directorate.

    Are you still talking about the incident during operations?

    No, because we have to keep our heads clear and therefore cannot talk about the Göttingen incident every time we use it, otherwise we are too distracted.

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): changes since the incident

    What has changed in bomb defusing since the Göttingen accident? What are you doing differently?

    There is a residual risk with each defusing. We try to minimize this with new technical means and increased explosions . But you don't get the residual risk to zero. The bomb at the time had a detonator with chemical support.

    What role do these detonators play?

    These bombs with so-called long-term detonators were often used in the "normal" bomb load in the Second World War . With all weapons and especially with these ignition systems, there is an unpredictable aging process that we cannot assess from the outside. Therefore, the residual risk with these special ignition systems will always remain very high.

    Bomb explodes in Göttingen (Lower Saxony): image warriors

    How many unexploded bombs from World War II still come to light?

    You can't say that. We don't know how many bombs were dropped. It is also not clear which bombs were disarmed at what time. Reliable documentation has only been available for 30 years. That is why it will always happen that bomb blind people come to light. A bomb was not defused in Meppen until Wednesday. This task will be with us for generations to come.

    BY BERND SCHLEGEL

    About the person: Thomas Bleicher

    Thomas Bleicher (60) has been head of the Lower Saxony ordnance disposal service since 2006. Previously, he was the technical head of operations at the riot police in Hanover . The disposal of ordnance has been part of the State Office for Geographic Information and Surveying since 2012. Bleicher lives in the Hanover region.

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    Blast master Thorsten Lüdeke: In November last year, he defused a five-hundredweight bomb from the Second World War near Rosdorf. It had to be blown up because the detonator was badly damaged. This created a large crater.

    Blast master Thorsten Lüdeke: "World War I ammunition is unpredictable"

    Thorsten Lüdeke from the ordnance disposal service was on site twice to defuse bombs in southern Lower Saxony last year - in Göttingen and near Rosdorf (Göttingen district).

    The

    Explosives expert

    described how he fared after the tragic incident in 2010 before an assignment at Göttingen Schützenplatz in October, when his best friend had died. “You can't just cope with the pictures. In the beginning I tried to sort it out on my own, ”Lüdeke said in an interview.

    Blast master was treated

    At some point, explosive engineer Lüdeke noticed that it just couldn't be that easy: “And then I decided for myself, now is the time when I would rather go to the hospital . Also because that doesn't help my colleagues if I'm not 100 percent committed. And it took 16 weeks to go to the hospital, ”Lüdeke recalls. He also makes it clear that there is still a residual risk among unexploded ordnance: "This is World War II ammunition - and it is unpredictable."

    Source: merkur

    All news articles on 2020-06-01

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