10.20pm: Evacuated residents in The Boulevarde, Kooringal have been alllowed to return to their homes following the removal of an undetonated grenade in a neighbour's house.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The grenade had been identified as a WW2 fragmentation grenade: a common army issue of the time.
An explosives expert from the Albury/Wodonga ADF was dispatched to Wagga and arrived 8pm Saturday night and discovered the grenade's tetryl booster had been removed, meaning it couldn't explode even if the pin was pulled out.
The grenade was discovered 4.30pm by a family member who was cleaning out his grandfather's garage and found a canister marked "explosives", prompting police to set up a perimeter to safeguard residents.
An aside: While at the scene, the inspector on duty saw a boy crying on his scooter. Concerned, the inspector checked on the boy's welfare.
The boy divulged that he was scared of the dark but was riding to a friend's place. The Inspector assured the boy and drove him to his friend's place nearby.
Earlier: Wagga police have evacuated houses in The Boulevarde, Kooringal following the discovery of an undetonated aged explosive, found in a house.
A family member was cleaning out a disused shed out the back and discovered a worn cannister marked, "explosive", which had a type of grenade with the pin still in it. It's believed the cannister could be decades old.
Police bomb and rescue have contacted the Australian Defence Force which is sending a team from Albury to diffuse the explosive tonight.