Bomb squad defuses WWII-era explosive at major Germany airport

Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A bomb squad has defused an old World War II-era explosive that was dug up at the main airport in Hamburg, Germany, officials said.

The bomb was found late Wednesday at Hamburg Airport, Germany's fifth-busiest. Responding crews said the old 1,000-pound munition was "intact" in the ground and "successfully defused."

Authorities closed the airport as a precaution and all homes within a thousand feet were evacuated. The nearby A7 motorway was also closed and no planes were allowed to land or take off.

The airport reopened shortly after authorities cleared the explosive.

The device found Wednesday is the latest in a series of old discoveries of WWII-era weapons in Europe. A U.S.-made bomb was unearthed in Frankfurt in July and another in Cologne in April. Both were defused and disposed of.