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A mysterious naval mine inexplicably appeared off Washington state — this is the moment it blew up
(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
A mysterious naval mine was found off the coast of Washington state Tuesday.
The Navy sent an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to destroy the decades-old weapon while the Coast Guard and local authorities secured the area.
The mine's origin remains unclear.
What appeared to be a contact-style naval mine was detected mysteriously floating off the coast of Washington state Tuesday, prompting the US Navy to send in a team to destroy it, according to local reports.
Images of the mine, which was first discovered by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, showed a round, rust-covered object with rods protruding from it floating in the water near Bainbridge Island, located across the way from Seattle and near Naval Base Kitsap, which is home to one of the Navy's most important shipyards, Puget Sound.
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So a naval mine was found floating 1 KM off Brownsville marina in the Puget Sound in Washington State. Its located south of Keyport in an area that has been highly strategic for the US navy for over a century. (3rd pic- whose takin whose picture!?). pic.twitter.com/ZedS4Aw6j9
The Navy sent an Explosive Ordinance Disposal team to deal with the mine while the Coast Guard and local authorities set up a safety zone, encouraging nearby residents to shelter in their homes.
"Upon initial inspection, the unidentified moored mine was found to have decades of marine growth," the Navy revealed. After lassoing the mine and dragging it out to open waters, the Navy EOD team detonated the mine at around 8 pm Tuesday evening.
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WATCH: Divers work to secure a tow line around the unexploded mine found floating in Port Orchard Bay off Brownsville Marina. The @USCG says the @USNavy plans to tow it to Keyport.
FULL STORY: https://t.co/nDvP77ZWoM pic.twitter.com/KdSG55cCw1
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Another day @ the office w/ @PhotogGriff @KIRO7Seattle as we watch @USNavy @USCGPacificNW @KitsapEM respond to a mine found off of Brownsville Marina; Navy personnel exploded the mine while people watched from the marina, story 11PM pic.twitter.com/tK3NoMODrN
The Navy noted that because there was no secondary explosion, the old mine was most likely inert, according to local media. The Navy detonated the mine at sea because it was initially unclear whether or not there were explosives inside.
Exactly how the mine ended up off the coast of Washington remains a mystery.
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