Apr 13, 2001 - 12:34 PM

Thousands Evacuated From Danger Zone in France Around WWI Munitions By Frederic Lepinay Associated Press Writer

VIMY, France (AP) - Up to 15,000 people were being evacuated from their homes in northern France on Friday because of fears that a stockpile of World War I munitions could explode or leak toxic chemicals, including mustard gas. Police and firemen were going door to door, telling people to leave their homes within 24 hours. Those being evacuated live within a two-mile radius from a depot in the northern town of Vimy, where officials found signs of cracking in some munitions containers at the storage site over the last few days.

Interior Minister Daniel Vaillant called it a "very serious matter." Hundreds of soldiers and police officers were rushed to Vimy, a town of 4,500 people some 90 miles north of Paris, and more than 100 buses were brought in to shuttle people to hotels.

The Vimy depot is the main storage facility for a World War I bomb-hunting team in nearby Arras, which receives thousands of calls each year to collect stray weapons. The site holds 157 tons of munitions, according to local government officials.

The officials said the stockpile contains shells of mustard gas, used in World War I because of their irritating and blistering effects. Mustard gas can cause serious damage to the skin, eyes and lungs.

Another chemical believed present is phosgene, which also was used as a poison gas in warfare.

"Depending on the concentration, exposure can cause an edema of the lung - it can kill," said Dr. Monique Mathieu, chief toxicologist at the anti-poison center for the northern part of France, speaking of phosgene. "These chemicals weren't designed to water the plants with."

Some of the weapons were being rendered inert through refrigeration. A statement from regional officials said the hazardous munitions will be moved to a military base in Suippes, east of Paris, starting on Saturday.

More than 200,000 soldiers died in World War I at Vimy, the site of several battles. More than 3,500 Canadians died in the Allied victory of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917.

In 1998, two bomb squad members were killed when a shell exploded at the Vimy depot.

Townspeople said they were stunned. "What shocks me is that this depot has been around for a very long time," said Claude Brabant, who's lived in Vimy since 1983. "I do not understand how we could have gotten to such a situation of emergency today. This is a sign of incompetence by the authorities."

Another resident, Christophe Cordonnier, was refusing to leave his home.

"I won't open my door, and if someone wants to me to leave they'll have to carry me," Cordonnier said.

Residents in a number of nearby villages and suburbs were also ordered to leave their homes. Traffic jams were expected across the region, primarily because farmers were also fleeing with livestock in tow.

Local political leaders said they were frustrated with the delay in informing the public.

"This has really saddened us. We weren't the first to know," said Francis Tirtaine, general secretary of the Vimy city hall.

Residents were being ordered to stay away for about 10 days, with homes guarded by police, the Interior Ministry said. In a statement, it added that the danger zone might be expanded.

Each year, a nine-person bomb-hunting squad in Arras responds to about 2,000 calls to collect mortar shells and cannons dating back to World War I. The munitions are mostly of German origin, although French and English weapons are common. They range from 75 mm to 210 mm in caliber.

AP-ES-04-13-01 1234EDT © Copyright 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

-- Anonymous, April 13, 2001

Answers

It's only been 83 years since the end of the First World War and 56 years since the end of the Second World War. I guess they just haven't had time to dispose of the various munitions. Unbelievable.

-- Anonymous, April 13, 2001

"What shocks me is that this depot has been around for a very long time," said Claude Brabant, who's lived in Vimy since 1983. "I do not understand how we could have gotten to such a situation of emergency today. This is a sign of incompetence by the authorities."

"Residents were being ordered to stay away for about 10 days"

yes, OG, pretty weeeeiiiirrrddd. if it only takes 10 days to fix this, what was the big wait about? alien landing zone?

-- Anonymous, April 13, 2001