Second World War bomb explodes in Germany injuring 17
Police said the bomb went off when an excavator driving a digger drove over it. He injured his hand while the other victims were treated for light injuries and shock.
Safety officials said the victims were lucky the damage had not been much worse, however the bomb did damage several buildings in the area.
Armin Gebhard, head of the Arnsberg department for military ordnance removal, told local media: "The hole was astoundingly small for such a large bomb full of so many explosives.
"But of course it damaged all the surrounding buildings too. We are really happy it wasn't worse."
The explosion shattered windows in two industrial buildings close to the site.
Bomb disposal units discovered the bomb covered in rust amongst a pile of rubble. The 550lb bomb's ability to go off and cause damage was clearly not hampered by being covered in rust.
Unexploded Second World War bombs are often discovered in Germany, more than sixty years after the allied victory. There have been instances of people being killed after accidentally stumbling upon unexploded bombs but police said this incident was the largest such accident in recent years.
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Safety officials said the victims were lucky the damage had not been much worse, however the bomb did damage several buildings in the area.
Armin Gebhard, head of the Arnsberg department for military ordnance removal, told local media: "The hole was astoundingly small for such a large bomb full of so many explosives.
"But of course it damaged all the surrounding buildings too. We are really happy it wasn't worse."
The explosion shattered windows in two industrial buildings close to the site.
Bomb disposal units discovered the bomb covered in rust amongst a pile of rubble. The 550lb bomb's ability to go off and cause damage was clearly not hampered by being covered in rust.
Unexploded Second World War bombs are often discovered in Germany, more than sixty years after the allied victory. There have been instances of people being killed after accidentally stumbling upon unexploded bombs but police said this incident was the largest such accident in recent years.