Early this morning, a pyrotechnic survey carried out as part of preliminary excavation and construction work for the lower part of the Metropolis project detected an unexploded bomb on the construction site.  Based on a meeting of the emergency task force and the recommendations of the pyrotechnic expert, the bomb was removed from the place where it was found. This is another to step towards a safer city centre in Bratislava.

“The bomb was discovered on the building site at 07:45 today during an ongoing pyrotechnic survey. This survey is being carried out by a specialist firm that has the necessary qualifications, certificates and authorisation for such activity. It also has specific procedures ready for what to do when bombs are found. They therefore immediately secured the site and reported the matter to the Police Force of the Slovak Republic. From that point on, the police handled matters according to their own emergency plans,” explained the developer of the Metropolis project, Mint Investments. There was nobody on the building site at the time and the police evacuated the surrounding buildings as a safety precaution.

Mint Investments suspected that bombs might be found on the site and therefore ordered a pyrotechnic survey by professional specialists in this field. Excavation work has been in progress since May according to detailed plans which enabled the removal of the bomb to go smoothly and without complications.

The bomb was left over from the bombing raid on the Apollo Refinery in Bratislava in 1944, which was a US Air Force operation in the Second World War. The area was covered over with earth after the bombing raid and the bombs are only coming to light now because of building work. 

The current stage of the Metropolis project is preparatory work and coordination of excavation, which will continue until September this year and reach down to seven metres below ground level. This will be the foundation for two multi-purpose towers that will stand on the corner of Bottova and Chalupkova Streets.