The 44th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Diving Division is currently recovering boxes containing the detonators from the lake bottom outside Gothenburg for a couple of weeks, according to official sources. The detonators are assessed as particularly sensitive—they can react to shocks or friction—which makes the work risky. The work in Lake Landvettersjön is expected to continue for several more days.
After World War II, the then Swedish Armed Forces dumped large amounts of ammunition in lakes around Sweden, official sources confirm. At the time, this method was considered safe for disposing of ammunition. Today, the remains are instead regarded as a problem that must be dealt with, work that has been ongoing for many years around Sweden. The operation is part of a larger effort where the Swedish Armed Forces around the country are trying to manage historical dumpings of ammunition.
In Lake Landvettersjön, it involves over a thousand detonators packed in a total of over 60 boxes that were dropped into the water in 1955, according to official information. After recovery, they will be transported further to Remmene firing range where they will be destroyed through controlled explosions.
At the same time, the risk to the public is small as long as the ammunition remains at the bottom, official sources state. It is only when it is moved that larger safety zones are needed. The specific environmental or safety risks the detonators pose if left in the lake long-term remain unclear, as does how many other lakes in Sweden have similar historical ammunition dumpings that require cleanup.