A camping trip turned into a frightening ordeal for five young people in Austria when an unexploded device from World War II blew up underneath their campfire Saturday night, according to authorities.
The youngsters, ranging in age from 10 to 14 years old, were participating in a youth group excursion from elsewhere in Upper Austria when the blast occurred in St Oswald bei Freistadt, a village location frequently used for organized camping activities, state police officials reported Sunday.
Following the dangerous incident, law enforcement officers examined a second fire pit in the vicinity and discovered yet another explosive remnant from the war era. A specialized bomb squad was immediately summoned to safely remove the hazardous item, authorities confirmed in an official statement.
“Investigations are currently underway to determine how war relics came to be under the campfire area,” the statement added.
Police have not yet released details about how seriously the children were hurt, but confirmed all five were transported to a pediatric medical facility in Linz, a nearby city, for treatment.
Although construction crews and excavation projects across Austria occasionally uncover leftover explosives from the Second World War, incidents like Saturday’s explosion are uncommon occurrences.
