French Hospital Evacuated After Live WWI Shell Found in Patient

A hospital in southern France was evacuated after doctors discovered a live First World War artillery shell lodged inside a patient’s anal canal.

The 24-year-old man was admitted to the Rangueil Accident and Emergency unit in Toulouse late on Saturday night with complaints of severe pain.

According to local news, doctors found a live, eight-inch bomb shell from 1918 during an emergency surgery.

Hospital staff immediately alerted the bomb squad and fire brigade. A security perimeter was put in place, and parts of the hospital were evacuated while specialists assessed the risk.

Bomb disposal officers later removed the munition and took it away for safe handling.

The patient, a French national, remained in hospital to recover from surgery.

Prosecutors are considering legal action for the illegal possession of category A munitions, local newspaper La Dépêche reported.

In 2022, a similar case occurred, where a hospital in Toulon was partially evacuated after an elderly man arrived with a WWI artillery shell lodged in his anal canal as well.