Sappers defused a wartime aerial bomb in Lombardy, Italy
Authorities evacuated about 800 people due to the discovery of an aerial bomb in the municipality of Sermide (Italy) — the operation was successful but required precise coordination and military involvement.
Photo: x.com/Esercito
On the evening of Sunday, May 5, in the Italian municipality of Sermide e Felonica (Province of Mantua, Italy), military sappers successfully defused an American aerial bomb from World War II, according to a report published on the website of the Italian Ministry of the Interior.
The 113-kilogram explosive device — 58 kilograms of which was high-energy explosive — was discovered on April 30 during excavation work for a new pumping station in the Reverese area.
The defusal operation was carried out by specialists from the 10th Engineer Regiment of the Italian Army based in Cremona. Due to a complex chemical delay mechanism on the bomb, the military insisted on the complete evacuation of all residents within a 1,264-meter radius from the epicenter.
In total, about 800 people temporarily left their homes. The safety zone was divided into a “red” and a “yellow” zone, also affecting parts of the neighboring municipalities of Borgocarbonara and Castelnovo Bariano.
After several hours of intense work, the explosive device was defused without incident. Authorities thanked the residents for their patience and strict adherence to instructions.
Earlier it was reported that a mass evacuation is underway in the Dietrichsdorf district of Kiel, Germany. About 11,500 residents are temporarily leaving their homes so that sappers can safely defuse a 250-kilogram aerial bomb left over from World War II.
It was also reported that a World War II bomb was found in Dresden, prompting the temporary evacuation of around 10,000 people, including residents of the city center, for defusal operations.