The heat waves that swept through Europe this northern hemisphere summer not only generated record temperatures and parched fields: The waters of the drought-stricken Po River in Italy were so low that it revealed a sunken WWII bomb.
Military experts disarmed and controlled detonation on Sunday a 450kg bomb discovered near the northern village of Borgo Vigilio, near the city of Mantua, on July 25.
“The bomb was found by fishermen on the banks of the Po River due to the drop in water levels caused by the drought,” said Colonel Marco Nasi.
Dealing with the bomb was not easy.
The military said about 3,000 people living nearby were evacuated by the operation. The area’s airspace has been closed. Cruising along the river and traffic on the rail line and state road were halted.
“Originally some of the residents said they wouldn’t move, but over the last few days I think we’ve convinced everyone,” Francesco Aporti, mayor of Borgo Virgilio, said.
Bomb disposal engineers removed the fuse on the US-made device, which the Army said contained 240kg of explosives.
Later, bomb disposal squads accompanied by the police transported the device to a quarry in the town of Medole, about 45 km away, where it was destroyed.
Italy declared a state of emergency last month in the region around the country’s longest river, the Po. It accounts for about a third of Italy’s agricultural production and is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years.
source: Noticias
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