2023-07-25 06:31:53
According to the Red Cross, the heat wave and forest fires in the northern hemisphere are increasing the risk of old ammunition exploding. In former war zones, the detonators could be triggered by duds, warned Erik Tollefsen, weapons expert at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva. This also applies to ammunition that has not been cleared from military firing ranges and abandoned ammunition depots, which are often located in remote areas.
“The problem is the additional risk for fire brigades and first responders,” said Tollefsen. The emergency services would have to withdraw because of the danger of ammunition and could not fight the forest fires associated with the climate crisis, the expert explained. Due to the high temperatures, the risk of the detonators being triggered increases, it said.
As an example, Tollefsen cited the Balkans, where numerous duds from the First World War had exploded during a fire last year. In principle, however, all former theaters of war are potentially affected – from the more recent past to the Napoleonic Wars, which ended in 1815. The Red Cross called on states to get an overview of areas contaminated with ammunition and to communicate the risks to rescue workers.
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