The mine clearance service of the Austrian Armed Forces presents the figures for the previous year. The explosive power of the recovered war relics is enormous. The “Krone” offers exciting facts and comparisons as well as the ranking of the federal states.
Dangerous remains from the first two world wars kept the Austrian army’s mine clearance service (EMD) busy again last year in all nine states. The experts had to carry out almost 1,000 missions – 995 to be precise.
The total balance of explosive relics: almost 35 tons (34,687.30 kilograms) of various types was recovered and defused. An impressive comparison made by the Federal Army press service: “With this amount of explosives you could blow up up to 100 high-rise buildings with 20 floors. For example, the EMD specialists destroyed 65 cluster bombs, 31 anti-personnel mines and 44 unexploded bombs weighing more than 50 kilograms.”
Comparison: Circumnavigated the Earth seven times on missions
The areas of application of the EMD include almost everything: remains of war have been found in water, in alpine terrain, in forests and in urban terrain. “The diving group recovered 571.5 kilograms, and 146 kilograms were recovered in the high alpine terrain. To reach these areas, the EMD traveled 280,585 kilometers. That’s about the equivalent of seven orbits around the Earth.”
14.91 tons of war materials were detonated in a controlled manner at the Federal Army explosion sites. Another 4.8 tons of infantry ammunition were annealed in a special furnace. Interestingly, the resulting scrap was recycled. Last but not least, 6.57 tons of war scrap was taken directly for disposal.
Not all relics can be removed
A particular challenge for the experts was that they encountered so-called “unsafe ammunition” 47 times. “It could not be transported and had to be destroyed on site.” It weighed 422.9 kilograms.
Speaking of location: last year the business density was again the highest in Lower Austria. In 462 operations, 14.03 tons were removed. Styria (9.39 tons in 129 missions) and Vienna (5.81 tons in 56 missions) follow in second and third place. Vorarlberg comes in behind with 80.43 kilograms in 13 missions.
If found: stay away, keep your distance and call the police
Anyone who makes a suspicious discovery must: stay away, keep their distance, keep animals and other people away from the premises and “immediately inform the nearest police station”.
As Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner says: “The figures show that there is no end in sight to the discovery of war relics. The EMD of the Federal Army contributes to security in Austria every day.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
