On March 30, 2018, a war relic was found in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

According to an eyewitness account, the relic "appeared to be about 3 inches long and cylindrical in shape."

Police also cordoned off the area for about five hours.

While it is unconfirmed what this object is, it is certainly not the first war relic to be discovered here.

War relic abound

War relics are pretty commonly found in Singapore, especially in construction sites.

War relics include ordnance, such as bombs or mortar rounds.

In 2015, a fused and fired Illumination mortar round was found at a construction site near Tampines.

More recently, in October 2017, a high explosive projectile was found on Jurong Island.

So what happens to them?

When such relics are discovered, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team is activated to dispose of it.

The disposal of war relics is not an uncommon occurrence. For instance, 11 such incidents were mentioned by The Singapore Army's Facebook in 2015 alone.

The typical procedure would be to clear civilians from the immediate vicinity around the unexploded ordnance, and to cordon the area.

Due to the danger that the ordnance poses, as well as the location it is discovered, it may be detonated on-site.

Sometimes, police officers may have to be activated to advise residents to stay indoors and not be alarmed if they hear a loud sound.

Otherwise, if the safety features are still intact, the ordnance is safe to handle and can be moved to a separate area for disposal.

This is usually at a military live firing range.

Detonation

For ordnance disposal, sandbags are usually used to prepare the site.

In many instances, a trench with a protective structure is constructed to contain the bomb's effects during disposal.

Sandbags and wooden blocks are used in this structure.

This is what a completed protective structure might look like:

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When all is in order, the team takes cover at a safe location.

And with a push of a button, the explosives are then detonated to dispose of the ordnance.

This is what is left of a 100kg aerial bomb:

You can watch a video of a detonation here:

Top photo composite image from The Singapore Army Facebook.