11 Pipe Bombs Found Along Long Stretch of Footpath in Canberra

Eleven explosive devices have been found on footpaths and in parks near Lake Ginninderra, and police so far have no idea who has planted them.

One of the pipe bombs found in Canberra. Courtesy of ACT Policing

Pipe bombs have been found at several sites in Canberra, including on footpaths and in parks.

While it is currently unclear who has made the bombs, police said they had no connection to any terrorist activity.

Nearly a dozen of the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been found, with some already having exploded. Police have not said whether this is likely to have occurred by deliberate detonation or because of the unstable nature of the devices.

The sudden appearance of so many explosives had led to a major police investigation, and the public has been warned not to touch any suspicious objects they may find.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Policing Detective Acting Inspector Anna Wronski said the matter was being taken extremely seriously. She urged anyone who found one of the silver tube-shaped objects to stay away and call emergency services.

“We do not want members of the public to pick them up. We do not want members of the public to bring them to police stations. We want them to call triple zero immediately,” she told reporters.

As of Jan. 15 morning, 11 pipe bombs had been found along a one-kilometre stretch of footpath near Lake Ginninderra in Canberra’s north-west.

The first was discovered by a member of the public around two days earlier. Police had not yet confirmed how long the pipe bombs had been at the site, or if more devices were still unaccounted for.

“A number of the devices have been located intact, and a number have been located partially destroyed,” Wronski said.

“Any explosive is dangerous. That’s why we’re taking it so seriously. An explosive in a public place does raise a lot of concern for police,” she said.

According to police, there have been no reports of injuries from the explosions, nor is there any information suggesting the pipe bombs are present elsewhere in Canberra.

A 2020 study into pipe bombs, published in the Forensic Science International journal, tested IEDs made with different thicknesses of pipe. It found such devices potentially caused harm in three different ways: blast, thermal, and fragmentation.

A blast wave travels at very high speed, usually starting around Mach 3 and then decaying to the speed of sound (340 m/s) over large distances.

Because the device detonates due to a chemical reaction, temperatures can reach or even exceed 3,871 degree Celsius during an explosion, potentially causing severe burning to anyone nearby.

However, it is the fragmentation effect that causes most of the injuries, as the casing ruptures and other nearby materials are made airborne by the blast waves and can strike people, wildlife and property.