Civil War bomb discovered and diffused underwater off El Postiguet beach

A team of specialised divers from the Spanish Navy had a very morning on July 31, after a bomb was discovered underwater.

Civil War bomb discovered underwater in Alicante

A Civil War-era bomb was found underwater in Alicante, hidden by seagrass nine metres below the surface.

The Special Explosives Ordinance Disposal Team (EDE) from the Spanish Navy were carrying out a regular, routine training exercise when the divers noticed something unusual, uncovering a concealed explosive device. 

Buried underwater near El Postiguet beach

Buried among the weeds 400 metres deep in the sea, off the shore of El Postiguet beach, in Alicante. 

The submerged projectile was almost entirely camouflaged by sea moss and marine life, but once discovered, an urgent alert was sent to the Centre of Operations and Surveillance Maritime Action of the Navy in Cartagena.

Navy Explosive Deactivation Team diffused the explosive device

After first discussing and planning possible forms of action, the Navy Explosive Deactivation Team went ahead with the dangerous task of diffusing the bomb and neutralising the threat.

Using special explosive charges, the team performed a controlled detonation which is used to minimise the explosive radius and the environmental damage caused by the explosion, ultimately eliminating the threat. 

Following the controlled detonation underwater, the specialist team then conducted a final verification that the device had been successfully neutralised, deactivating the device and marking the bomb diffuse operation a success.