A man in his sixties dies when a wartime shell he was handling explodes at his home.

A terrible accident occurred this Thursday morning in Saint-Python, a commune located not far from Cambrai, in northern France. A 69-year-old man died following the explosion of a shell he was handling at his home. According to Cambrai’s prosecutor, Ingrid Görgen, “no one else was present at the time of the explosion.”

Emergency services and bomb disposal teams were immediately dispatched to the scene to secure the area. Five other shells were discovered in the retiree’s house, according to the Nord prefecture. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of this tragedy, notably the origin and source of the explosive devices stored in the residence.

The Nord, the Somme and the Meuse remain riddled with munitions dating from the First and Second World Wars. Every year, thousands of shells, grenades or mines are discovered, often during agricultural work or construction projects.

Authorities remind the public never to handle such devices. If a suspicious object is found, the instruction is not to touch it, to move away immediately and to alert the authorities. Emergency services and prefectures are also stepping up awareness campaigns to prevent such tragedies from happening again.