Land Mine Found in Attic of Old House
RICHMOND, Va. - A land mine ? 20 years old but fully operational ? was discovered Monday beneath the wooden floor boards of an attic.
John Jamieson said the mine ? a rusty brown container about the size and shape of a glass milk bottle ? popped out when he jostled the floor boards in his 1920s house.
The container rolled toward the opening in the attic staircase, but Jamieson grabbed it before it fell to the second floor, set it outside, and called police.
Neighboring homes were evacuated.
An examination of the mine found that it was active and that the pin, which must be removed for the device to detonate, was still in place.
Richmond police Maj. David M. McCoy said the bomb was not issued by the U.S. military and speculated that it may have been Asian or Russian. Police estimated the mine to be 20 years old.
No other explosives were found in the attic.
The Jamiesons, who have lived in the home nearly eight years, said they have no idea how the land mine ended up in their attic.