Large WWII shell exposed in Danube near Budapest goes missing
A man reported a large object in the Danube mud, but the device vanished before police arrived; investigators say it may be a World War II artillery shell.
Hungarian police are searching for a large explosive device believed to be from World War II after it was exposed in the Danube riverbed near Budapest during low water levels and then disappeared before officers could secure it.
Found, photographed and gone
The object was discovered by a local man who noticed it in the mud revealed by the receding waterline. He photographed the item and reported it to the police, but when officers arrived the device was no longer at the spot; authorities believe someone removed it in the interval between the report and police arrival.
Analysts examining the images say they cannot rule out that the item is an artillery shell from World War II, and an expert has been called in to determine the exact nature of the object. The police have opened an investigation into unauthorized handling of explosive material and have asked anyone with information about the shell’s whereabouts to come forward.
Officials warned that old munitions that have spent decades buried in soil or submerged in water can remain unstable and dangerous, and they urged people not to touch, move or attempt to disassemble suspicious objects.
Citizens living along the Danube were likewise asked to keep a safe distance from any suspicious finds that have appeared as water levels fell and to report such discoveries immediately to the police.
Photo: honvedelem.hu
