Hospital Evacuated After Doctors Find An 8-inch World War I Artillery Shell Inside 24-year-old Patient’s Butt in France

A hospital in south-west France was forced to partially evacuate after medical staff discovered an unexploded World War I artillery shell inside a patient.

The incident occurred late Saturday night at Rangueil Hospital in Toulouse, where a 24-year-old man arrived at the emergency unit complaining of severe discomfort. Doctors carried out urgent surgery after learning he had inserted a large object into his rectum.

To their shock, the object was found to be a live artillery shell dating back to 1918.

Bomb disposal experts were immediately called in, while firefighters were placed on standby. As a safety measure, patients and staff were evacuated from the affected area, and a security cordon was set up around the emergency department. The shell, measuring nearly eight inches long, was later declared safe.

The patient, a French national, is expected to be questioned by police as authorities assess possible legal consequences related to the possession of prohibited munitions. Officials have not yet confirmed how he obtained the shell, though local reports suggest it may be linked to personal circumstances.