World War II bomb found near Schiphol

United Press International
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2005 12:00 a.m. | Thursday, Oct. 6, 2005 12:00 a.m.

Air traffic at the major international airport in the Netherlands has been slowed by the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb nearby.

The 500-pound British bomb was found late Wednesday during excavations in a field near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, Expatica.com reported. One of Schiphol's three runways was closed completely and a second limited to one-way traffic because of fears the explosives have become unstable and could be set off by vibrations.

Heavy fog in the area compounded delays Thursday with flights averaging 22 an hour, less than a third of the Dutch airport's normal traffic.

Five families were forced out of their homes by the discovery of the bomb and a road past the site remains closed until at least Friday.

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