Falmouth bomb – live: Mass evacuation and train lines close after 'missile' found, tell me about this news in (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/falmouth-bomb-docks-evacuations-cornwall-37691805)

This news report details a major security operation and mass evacuation in Falmouth, Cornwall, following the discovery of an unexploded World War II ordnance near Falmouth Docks and the Pendennis Headland.

• The Ordnance: The explosive is an unexploded, air-dropped American “general purpose” bomb dating back to World War II, weighing approximately 250 lbs (around 113 kg). Experts from the Royal Navy’s Bravo Squadron bomb disposal team based at HMNB Devonport were dispatched to handle and dispose of the device, with plans to tow it out to sea for a controlled disposal.

• Mass Evacuation: Around 2,000 residents across 339 properties inside a 755-meter exclusion zone were instructed to evacuate starting at 9:00 AM. Local council staff, search and rescue volunteers, and Devon and Cornwall Police went door-to-door to confirm evacuations and advise residents. Local students from nearby Falmouth University accommodation and Truro and Falmouth MP Jayne Kirkham were among those displaced.

• Emergency Reception Centre: All Saints Church on Killigrew Street opened as a temporary rest and reception facility, offering food, drinks, chargers, and shelter for evacuees.

• Transport and Road Disruption:

  • Rail services operated by Great Western Railway (GWR) between Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks were suspended, with no replacement bus services allowed into the exclusion zone due to the hazard.

  • Several key local roads were shut down in both directions, including Pendennis Rise and sections of the A39 (Dracaena Avenue).

  • Maritime traffic was also restricted, with tugboats keeping other marine vessels clear of the waters off Pendennis Headland while disposal operations were underway.