Unexploded pre–World War I shell discovered in construction site

Armed Forces of Malta says British shell is over a century old and was safely removed without any damage.

27 June 2025, 2:02pm
by Juliana Zammit

1 min read

The unexploded wartime bomb was found at a construction site on Thursday (Photo: AFM/Facebook)

An unexploded wartime shell has been discovered during construction works earlier this week, and safely removed by the Armed Forces of Malta

“It was safely removed from the site, ensuring the continued safety of the surrounding area,” they said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The ordnance was found by construction workers and identified as a 5.5-inch British Armour-Piercing Solid Shot which is a type of heavy shell used before the First World War. Once alerted, the Ammunition and Explosives Squadron from the 3rd Regiment of the Armed Forces was called in to examine the object.

A specialist team made up of members from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), and Divers Platoon was quickly sent to the site to investigate.

The unexploded shell was safely removed and taken away without incident, and no injuries or damage were reported.

Malta’s army continues to carry out bomb disposal operations to keep the public safe, even when dealing with weapons left behind over a hundred years ago.

Juliana Zammit is a part-time staff reporter and social media journalists. She is curren...