Last Sunday, a pedestrian passing through the defunct Patterson Airport in Ásbrú in Reykjanesbær, Southwest Iceland, chanced upon a live hand grenade, Vísir reports. The discovery was subsequently reported to the police authorities, who dispatched an explosive expert to dispose of the grenade. According to a statement by Suðurnes Police, the grenade is believed to have been active. The police could offer no further information concerning the incident, besides stating that the grenade’s disposal was successful.
The former U.S. Naval Air Station Keflavík was built during World War II by the U.S. Army (U.S. forces withdrew in 1947 but returned in 1951). Numerous pieces of unexploded ordnance have been discovered near Ásbrú in the past, especially during the Icelandic Coast Guard’s clearing of the area, following the evacuation of U.S. forces in 2006.
The Coast Guard advises visitors of the area to be careful and to report all unexploded ordnance to the authorities immediately.
