Grenades discovered in Skien garden

The grenades were found in a garden, near the house. Photo: Anne Lognvik/NRK

Residents had to stay away from their homes for several hours after a grenade discovery.

It was just after 12 o’clock on Monday that a garden owner discovered something unusual and unwelcome on his property, on Nenset Street in Skien

When the police patrol arrived at the site, many neighbors were surprised. “It seems that there are three grenades in the garden,” said Operation Leader Gunnar Hansen to NRK monday afternoon.

The grenades were found during an excavation in the garden. They were only 20-30 centimeters below the soil.

“They are old, but they can still be of great explosive force,” said Hansen.

He thinks they may be from World War II, but they could also be older than that.

There were acts of war in this location in 1945, when English warplanes sunk four German ships near Menstad in Skien.

“I was going home from the store when I was stopped by police, said Elin Larsson Nergård to an NRK reporter.  “We were not allowed to drive in yet.”

The neighbors do not know if they are allowed to stay the night at their homes.

“This is disgusting, says neighbor Marianne Fuller. “It’s uncertain what lies there.”

Soon after, at 6 p.m., two experts from the Armed Forces arrived at the property on Nenset. Lieutenant Colonel Per Johnny Pedersen examined the site to see if was more grenades in addition to the three already found.

“The mortar shells have been brought here. We do not know why or when it happened,” said Pedersen to NRK. “They have not been released from an airplane.”

Pedersen said the grenades are ready for shooting. He does not think anyone has been in danger because of the grenades. The man who dug them up was probably not in danger, either.

The grenades have now been removed from the property. The Armed Forces shall deactivate them in a military area in Oslo.

Source: NRK

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