The 16-Year-old Was Lucky Because the Explosion Was Apparently Not Very Powerful

A 16-year-old boy was injured when an old cartridge exploded in his hand in Goch, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The teenager had been scanning a field with a metal detector on Tuesday when he found the ammunition and picked it up, according to a police spokesman. "It exploded there, the spokesman said.

The 16-year-old was lucky because the explosion was apparently not very powerful. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries. It remains unclear whether the cartridge dates back to World War II or is of more recent origin." The case shows that found ammunition should never be touched, the spokesman warned.

"If you find such things, you should inform the authorities, but under no circumstances pick them up yourself. You can never be sure whether old ammunition is still dangerous," he said. The boy had been searching a field in Goch on the Lower Rhine with a metal detector when he made the discovery. The incident highlights the ongoing danger posed by unexploded ordnance in the region, which saw heavy fighting during World War II.