What might just be the last active grenade of World War I has just been detonated in the most unlikely of places: a potato shipment in Hong Kong, China.
On the morning of Saturday, February 2nd, Hong Kong police were called to a local potato chip factory. Once there, they found a mud-caked grenade mixed in with the large shipment of potatoes.
According to CNN, Superintendent Wilfred Wong Ho Hon commented:
"The grenade was imported from France together with the other potatoes."
After clearing an area outside the factory, authorities used a "high-pressure water firing technique" to safely detonate the grenade.
Military historian Dave Macri told the South China Morning Post how the grenade likely ended up with the spuds:
"If it was covered in mud, the grenade was likely to have been left behind, dropped by soldiers there during the war, or left there after it was thrown."
He then suspects the weapon was dug up by accident and shipped right alongside the potatoes.
Twitter couldn't believe an active grenade from WWI was still lying around...
Others suspected that the grenade may have been the original "hot potato."
Some even suggested this may be part of a coordinated attack from the Irish (who are famous for their quality potatoes).
Of course, no matter how explosive the situation, Twitter can never resist a few jokes.
Thankfully, the grenade was noticed before it was peeled. One can only imagine what kind of food might have been made with the antique weapon...
@WhiteHouse/X
