Fishermen fall ill after WW2 chemical bomb they dragged aboard in their nets explodes

A group of fishermen had to be quarantined after a World War Two shell containing chemicals exploded on their boat. The four men had hauled up the bomb in their nets when it detonated. From the Oban-based Star of Annan, the crew were all taken to hospital after the phosphorous inside the shell burst into flames. It was only hours after the potentially lethal explosion when all four of the crew started to feel unwell with chest pains, stomach pains and streaming eyes that the alarm was raised. One crew member, who asked not to be named, told the Record: “The boat took a roll and, whatever happened, the thing went off. If this stuff touches steel it starts fizzing and ignites immediately. Within seconds the smoke was so thick the lads in their bunks down below could not see each other. “They couldn’t even see the ladder to get out. In the space of a couple of minutes the fire had turned the steel white hot. We found out later some crab claws we had on deck near it were completely cooked through. It was intense. Read the story here 10:21

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