VIDEO: WWII bomb and explosives removed from 200-metre-deep cave on Brač

(Photo: MUP RH)

23 September 2026 – Police bomb-disposal specialists in Croatia have carried out a demanding operation to remove explosives dating largely from the Second World War from a cave around 200 metres deep on the island of Brač.

The operation took place between 21 and 23 September at the Gustrišica cave, located around 500 metres from the village of Gornji Humac in the direction of Selca, the Split-Dalmatia County Police Department said today in a statement.

Specialist officers from the Croatian Interior Ministry’s Anti-Explosive Protection Service, together with teams from the Zagreb and Split regional units, descended into the cave with logistical and technical support from the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS).

Police officers from the Brač Police Station secured the area throughout the operation.

The cave had previously been inspected by the Split regional anti-explosive unit in July after authorities received information that a large number of unexploded ordnance items had been discarded there.

During the latest operation, specialists removed around 15 different explosive devices after determining that they could safely be brought to the surface.

However, some of the devices were in poor condition and could not be safely transported out of the cave. Most were Italian-made Breda hand grenades. For safety reasons, these were destroyed inside the cave using controlled explosions.

Among the items discovered was also a German aerial bomb from the Second World War weighing around 50 kilograms.

The bomb did not have an active fuze, but officers determined that destroying it inside the cave was not safe because of the potential risk of a collapse.

Instead, police and HGSS personnel carefully removed the bomb from the cave.

Its destruction is planned at a suitable location and under appropriate weather conditions, primarily because of the potential risk of fire.

The operation required specialist personnel trained to work with explosive devices in difficult underground environments, as well as speleological support from HGSS.

Police said all activities were carried out with the necessary safety measures, taking into account both the difficult conditions inside the approximately 200-metre-deep cave and the condition and type of explosives discovered there.