The Civil Guard has deactivated a hand grenade, in an advanced state of deterioration and oxidation, with the explosive charge intact, located by an individual in the municipal district of Pozo Cañada (Albacete).
After the discovery, this person immediately reported the fact to the Civil Guard emergency phone, 062, available to citizens 24 hours a day, as reported by the Civil Guard in a press release.
Initially, a member of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Detection Team (EBYL) of the Civil Guard in Albacete was dispatched to the location of the discovery, gathering precise information on the state of conservation and characteristics of the explosive material, also taking the necessary security measures both at the location and in its vicinity.
Finally, it was the TEDAX (Specialists in Deactivation of Explosives) from the Specialized Explosive Deactivation Group of the Civil Guard (GEDEX) in the Command of the Civil Guard in Alicante, who took charge of the explosive material, carrying out the destruction work, safely and under control, in a secure area near the location of the discovery and designated for this purpose.
The explosive device, which turned out to be an offensive hand grenade used during the Spanish Civil War, maintained the explosive charge and the fuse or initiation system intact, making any kind of handling extremely dangerous.
The Civil Guard reminds the public that this type of explosive device retains its explosive properties intact despite the time elapsed since its manufacture and that improper handling can trigger the activation of its explosive charge, causing very serious injuries.
In the event of finding any object that may appear suspicious of being an explosive, incendiary, or pyrotechnic device, the Civil Guard recommends not touching or moving it, marking its presence, and immediately notifying their emergency phone, 062, which is available around the clock.
In these types of situations, providing the GPS coordinates of the location of the discovery is very useful, which can be obtained through many mobile phones available on the market.