A World War II-era bomb exploded in a field near the district of Ahlbach in the western German town of Limburg, leaving a crater in the ground, a police spokesman said yesterday.

Witnesses heard a loud bang late on Saturday night, only to discover the crater in the field, the spokesman said.

Munitions disposal experts examined the shape of the crater and determined that the device was a bomb from the World War II era. No one was injured in the incident.

The discovery of bombs dating back to the final months of the war is common in Germany and there are often evacuations to ensure their safe disposal.