Italian forces safely unexploded WWII bombs found in the drought-stricken Po River amid historic heatwaves in Europe. exploded on
His 1,000-pound bomb, made in the United States, was found by fishermen on July 25 in a dried-up river near the northern village of Borgo Virgilio, near the city of Mantua.
Colonel Marco Nasi said a bomb weighing 530 pounds had been found. Explosives were found on the river bank as the water level dropped.
About 3,000 people in the nearby towns of Borgoforte and Mottegiana were evacuated for demolition work on Sunday, the military said.
Airspace in the area was closed, halting traffic on nearby railroads and highways, as well as navigation along the waterway.
"At first some residents said they would not move, but I think in the last few days we have convinced everyone," said Francesco Aporti, mayor of Borgo Virgilio, as people refused to move. If you do, he added. Go and the operation would have been suspended.
A bomb disposal technician removed the fuse from the explosive device. A bomb squad, escorted by police, then loaded the bomb onto a truck and took it to an abandoned quarry in the city of Medor, about 30 miles away, where it was dug into a 19-foot-deep hole. I put it in. The Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported that it was blown up for that purpose and then blown up.
The entire operation lasted from 9am to 4pm. Local time including the time it took to secure, remove from the river, and destroy the bomb.
Italy last month declared a state of emergency for the region surrounding the Po, the country's longest river.
It accounts for about a third of Italy's agricultural production and is experiencing the worst drought in 70 years due to extreme heat in the region.
with post wire
