Treasure hunters searching for a Nazi train rumored to be laden with gold and weapons have been warned that it is likely rigged with explosives.
Two unidentified tipsters claimed last week they had found the World War II-era train — which is reputedly carrying valuables including valuable art — hidden underground near Walbrzych, Poland.
The men, a Polish and a German national, said they would only reveal the train's location if they were guaranteed a 10 percent finders' fee.
Piotr Zuchowski, Poland's deputy culture minister, said Thursday he was "convinced" of the train's existence and said the duo's claims had sparked a flood of other treasure hunters to flock to the area.
However, he appealed to them "to stop all explorations" until officials had investigated.
"There is a huge probability that the train is mined," he said in a statement, without providing an explanation for his theory.
Local officials announced Wednesday that they had found a military train of historical significance but stopped short of confirming the pair's claims.
The rumor of a lost Nazi train filled with gold is a well-known locally. It apparently went missing inside air raid tunnels during the advance of the Soviet Army towards Berlin in 1945.
