ATHENS, Sept 20, (Xinhua): An explosion in the town of Tsotyli, northern Greece, which left two men injured on Friday, was caused by a World War II shell, Greek state broadcaster ERT reported. The blast occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time at a yard for earthmoving machinery, where a 54-year-old man sustained multiple traumatic injuries and a 45-year-old man suffered fractures.

The 54-year-old victim, who was in critical condition with severe burns and partial amputations to his knee and elbow, was transferred to Hippocrates Hospital in Thessaloniki. The second man underwent orthopedic surgery at Mamatseio Hospital in Kozani and will remain there for observation.

Army bomb disposal experts examined the site following the explosion and confirmed the presence of ammunition fragments, indicating the device was a wartime shell, ERT said. Authorities have cordoned off the area while investigations continue.