Key Points:

• A 500 kg unexploded World War II bomb was found near Paris' Gare du Nord, leading to significant travel disruptions.
• All Eurostar services to and from London and Brussels were halted for the day, affecting thousands of passengers.
• Traffic on surrounding roads was also impacted, with sections of highways closed during the bomb disposal operation.

Traffic came to a complete standstill at Paris' Gare du Nord, one of Europe's busiest train stations, after authorities discovered a 500 kg unexploded bomb from World War II on tracks near the station early Friday morning. The bomb was found around 4 a.m. during maintenance work in the suburb of Saint-Denis, approximately 2.5 km from the station. Following the finding, the railway operator SNCF announced that all traffic would be halted at the request of police while specialists worked to safely neutralize the threat.

Thousands of passengers were stranded as Eurostar services, which connect Paris to London and Brussels, were completely canceled for the day. The disruption occurred during a particularly busy travel period, coinciding with the Paris Fashion Week and the weekend travel rush. Reports indicated that Eurostar advised passengers to reschedule their journeys and provided options for refunds or rebookings.

Authorities imposed a security perimeter, evacuating residents within a 500-meter radius and temporarily closing parts of the Paris ring road and the A1 motorway as bomb disposal teams commenced operations. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot assured the public that all necessary precautions were taken, urging travelers to postpone their trips until further notice.

While the primary affected services were local and Eurostar trains, other rail services including TGV and regional trains saw disruptions, most notably cutting connections from Gare du Nord to key destinations, including Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Passengers reported chaotic scenes at London’s St. Pancras station, where crowds formed as travelers sought alternative routes or accommodations.

Jean-Luc Morel, a local resident, expressed his frustration after being unable to commute, saying, “I’ve been waiting since 6 a.m. for an RER train. The buses are overcrowded." In contrast, some travelers opted to embrace the inconvenience, with one passenger humorously noting, "I’d rather wait safely than travel over an unexploded bomb."

Although the bomb was safely defused later in the day, disruptions in rail services are expected to continue into the weekend. The discovery of unexploded ordnance concealed for decades serves as a stark reminder of Europe’s wartime history, underlining the ongoing challenges faced by cities still recovering from the impacts of World War II.

For further details, visit the original reports by CBS News, Channel News Asia, and SCMP.