French Hospital Evacuated After Man Shows Up With World War I Shell In His Rectum

Medical personnel in Toulouse, southwestern France, were thrown into shock after a 24-year-old man arrived at Rangueil Hospital with a World War I artillery shell lodged in his rectum, prompting a security alert and the involvement of bomb disposal experts.

The unusual incident reportedly occurred on Saturday night when the man presented himself at the emergency unit, complaining of severe discomfort caused by a foreign object inserted into his body. During surgery, doctors discovered the antique artillery shell, measuring about 16–20 centimetres in length and dating back to 1918, the final year of the First World War.

The shell triggered immediate concern among hospital staff due to fears it could still be explosive. Authorities, including police, firefighters and bomb disposal specialists, were alerted, and parts of the hospital were secured while the device was assessed. Reports later confirmed that the shell was ultimately declared safe and posed no explosion risk.

The patient remained in the hospital for observation and recovery following surgery. French authorities were expected to question him under the country’s weapons laws, which classify such munitions as prohibited. It has not yet been confirmed how the shell came into his possession.

Experts noted that discoveries of unexploded ordnance from the First World War were still common in France, particularly in farmland and construction sites, a phenomenon locally known as the “Iron Harvest.”

This is not the first time such a bizarre case has been reported in France. In 2022, an 88-year-old man caused a partial evacuation at Sainte Musse Hospital in Toulon after arriving with a similar World War I artillery shell lodged in his rectum. The device was later removed without incident after experts confirmed it was safe.

The public prosecutor in Toulouse is expected to take over the case for further investigation once the man has been formally interrogated by the police.