German and French authorities are debating what to do with a “forgotten mass grave” of German soldiers who perished in a tunnel that was sealed by enemy forces in north-eastern France during World War I.

Following a drilling operation in the department of Aisne, experts were able to confirm the discovery of the so-called Winterberg Tunnel, which is believed to contain the bodies of some 270 German troops.

The German War Graves Commission (VDK) said a camera had been inserted into a large, dusty limestone cavity found deep in the ground, but that poor visibility prevented any clear images from being taken.

The VDK said future access to the grave – which is in the forest of Craonne and has been overgrown with vegetation – would only be possible through the use of heavy machinery.

The objective of the operation, the commission added, had not been to exhume any bodies but to study the site, while ensuring “due respect for the soldiers’ remains”.

Read more: RFI