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TOXIC GASSES RELEASED AFTER ACCIDENT AT PATCH BARRACKS IN GERMANY


By Michael Wang
Shocking news from Germany – five construction workers had to be hospitalized because of an explosive. A bomb in Germany dating back to WWII caused five people to be sent to the hospital for 24 hours. People stationed in Patch Barracks, Germany, are left on high alert for more silent bombs waiting to be found.

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What You Should Know About Patch Barracks

Patch Barracks is a U.S. Army base in Germany and is home to the U.S. Army European Command and the Special Operations Command in Europe. During World War II, it served as the headquarters and barracks for the “Wehrmacht's 7th Panzer Regiment with associated unit shooting ranges and training areas.” It was a popular base for the German army. Following the Second World War, Patch Barracks was taken over by the French Colonial troops and was later controlled by American troops. The base has been a very contentious spot since WWII. Fast forward to today, and Patch Barracks is controlled by the U.S. government and operates as the command center for the U.S. Army European Unit, the Special Operations Unit, and the Defense Information Systems Agency.

What Happened at Patch Barracks?

Five construction workers who were repairing the framework at Patch Barracks were injured due to their puncturing into a phosphorous bomb that was planted in the ground that dates back to World War II. Thankfully, the bomb did not go off; however, the workers’ backhoe disturbed the integrity of the casing, which resulted in the bomb releasing some phosphorous gas into the air near the workers. Once the WWII bomb was identified, the German explosive ordnance team came to Patch Barracks and carefully removed the bomb within an hour of the incident. Following this procedure, the five construction workers who were exposed to the toxic gas were sent to a local hospital for observation. According to Stuttgart Citizen, they were released with no serious injuries.

Why Are These Bombs Still Here?

Many are currently questioning why the WW2 bomb found in Germany was still there. During World War II, the United States was in heavy pursuit of German forces; therefore, U.S. military forces heavily bombed Germany, including what’s now known as Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. U.S. and British forces initiated a lot of air raids during the time, dropping many bombs throughout the country. Out of the barrage of attacks from Allied Forces, it’s said that an estimated 15% of bombs that were dropped on German grounds “failed to explode” and remained buried around the country. Now, people are slowly finding bombs in Germany in all sorts of places, most of which are still in good enough shape to cause some damage. This was not the first time a bomb was found in Germany. A year ago, a bomb in Munich exploded at a construction site, causing four people to be injured. Another example would be back in November 2017, when people near Panzer Kaserne base in Stuttgart were forced to evacuate after a bomb was found near the site. With these cases popping up seemingly out of nowhere, each year the authorities take the initiative to “find and remove hundreds of unexploded ordnance, which pose a threat to this city.” They do this by disarming the bomb or destroying it through a controlled demolition. Before the controlled detonations, areas around it are evacuated as a safety precaution.

Silent Bombs Waiting To Be Found

The WW2 bomb found in Germany left many wondering how many explosives are out there just waiting to be reawakened and do damage. Countries around the world are still trying to clean up the mess made decades ago to protect their people and nation. The case at Patch Barracks is another reminder that there are still bombs in Germany from one of the worst wars known to man. The mission now is to find them and eliminate them before any more people get hurt.

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