This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The Polish military have deployed chemical, radiation and explosives experts to a site in south-western Poland where a Nazi train, allegedly missing since the second world war, might be located.

Tomasz Smolarz, the governor of Lower Silesia, said the aim of the work in the town of Walbrzych was to eliminate any dangers for residents.

Men tell Polish TV they have 'irrefutable proof' Nazi gold train exists Read more

The military’s efforts on Monday came after two explorers, Andreas Richter and Piotr Koper, claimed they had found a Nazi train, which could contain armaments and precious minerals, trapped in a tunnel. The explorers’ claims await confirmation, but they sparked hopes that it could be a Nazi train laden with treasure that local legend says went missing at the end of the war. The train was reportedly booby-trapped with weapons.

Walbrzych, which was part of Germany during the war and called Waldenburg, is in an area where Adolf Hitler was building a system of secret underground tunnels. The legend says the “gold train” entered one of the tunnels while fleeing the advancing Soviet army in 1945 and was never seen again.

Although there is no evidence the train existed, news of the possible discovery has sparked global fascination in the case and a local gold rush.

Richter, who is German, and Koper, a Pole, say they used ground-penetrating radar to locate the train and want a reward of 10% of the value of its contents.

Prosecutors said they were investigating whether the men committed a crime by conducting a search with radar equipment without official permission.