Live Nazi mine drifts ashore

Explosive experts have been commissioned to deal with a Nazi-era mine that has washed to shore in northern Sweden.

The device, a spiked, German-made ball commonly associated with imagery from WWII, showed up on Monday near the popular summer retreat area of Sundsvall. It is a live explosive, according to bomb specialists from the Swedish navy.

Police say the mine was likely brought ashore by strong winds and waves associated with winter storm Dagmar, which battered the region over the Christmas holiday period.

Philip Simon of the Swedish Armed Forces told reporters from the Sundsvalls Tidning newspaper, “It can be an intact mine and thus there is a risk that any further tampering could cause it to detonate.”

A safety perimeter of 1,200m around the device has been established ahead of authorities’ efforts to properly dispose of it. Jonas Hedman from the country’s fourth naval combat flotilla said to TT reporters, “We’re going to try to split it with a charge to see what’s inside.”

Experts say the mine probably contains 150kg to 220kg of explosives that could easily detonate if it is not properly disarmed.

A similar device washed ashore on Saturday in Akersberga, just outside of the Swedish capital; however, it was found to be empty.