French hospital evacuated after undetonated WWI artillery shell discovered inside patient

A hospital in Toulouse, France, was temporarily evacuated after a male patient arrived at the emergency department with an unexploded World War I artillery shell lodged in his rectum, according to multiple media reports.

The unnamed patient, a 24-year-old French national, was admitted late Saturday night to the Rangueil Hospital’s emergency unit while experiencing severe discomfort. A hospital source cited by the Daily Mail said the man had inserted a large object into his body, prompting urgent medical intervention.

During emergency surgery, doctors discovered that the object was a live artillery shell dating back to 1918 and measuring approximately eight inches in length, The Sun reported. Due to concerns that the device could pose an explosive risk, hospital staff alerted local bomb disposal experts and the fire brigade.

Authorities established a security perimeter around the medical facility and evacuated parts of the hospital as a precaution while specialists assessed the situation. Bomb disposal officials later determined that the shell did not present an immediate danger and removed it from the premises.

The patient remained hospitalized following the procedure to recover from surgery. Officials have not publicly disclosed how the historical munition came into the man’s possession, though investigators reportedly suspect it may have been linked to a party stunt. La Dépêche noted that medical staff in Toulouse are accustomed to treating injuries related to risky personal activities.

According to police sources, the patient is expected to be questioned by authorities, and prosecutors are considering possible legal action for the unlawful handling of prohibited military ordnance, classified in France as “category A munitions.”

Artillery shells of this type were widely used by the Imperial German Army during World War I between 1914 and 1918. Similar unexploded munitions are frequently recovered across France during the annual “Iron Harvest,” when ordnance from both world wars resurfaces on farmland and construction sites.

This was not the first such incident in France. In 2022, another hospital evacuation occurred in Toulon after an elderly patient arrived with a World War I artillery shell lodged in a similar manner.