A controlled explosion has been carried out on a Second World War bomb uncovered during a drought on Italy's River Po.
The
450kg (71 stone) bomb found near the northern village of Borgo Virgilio
- between Milan and Bologna - was made safe on Sunday.
Around 3,000 people were evacuated and nearby roads, rail, and airspace closed as military experts removed the fuse.
Police escorted the bomb squad to a quarry 30 miles away in Medole, where the device was detonated.
The army said the US-made bomb contained 240kg (38 stone) of explosives.
"At first, some of the inhabitants said they would not move, but in
the last few days, we think we have persuaded everyone," said the mayor
of Borgo Virgilio, Francesco Aporti.
The bomb was found by fishermen on the banks of the River Po - Italy's longest river - on 25 July.
A state of emergency was declared around the river last month as it
endures its worst drought in 70 years and heatwave conditions.
The Po helps irrigate crops and accounts for about a third of agricultural production in Italy, but water levels have fallen significantly.
Italy's
National Research Council says 2022 is so far the driest since records
began in 1800, with rainfall down 46% nationwide - and the north is the
worst-affected area.
If you would like to become a W³P Lives contributor, please fill out the contact form below. You may submit any email address; however, you will need a gmail to login to blogger.com and access the back end of the blog where posts are created.
If you do not want to submit your actual email, please create a gmail specifically for this purpose and submit it to us via the form below. It will skip a step, since a gmail will be required to login anyways.
After filling out the form keep any eye out for your email invitation in your inbox. Accept the invitation, login to blogger.com, and start making discussions.
Post a Comment