An unexploded bomb from the Second World War was found on the banks of the dried Po River, in Italy. This is reported by the BBC.
The 450-kilogram bomb was found by fishermen in July near the Lombard village of Borgo Virgilio. The device contained 240 kg of explosives. On Sunday, August 7, about three thousand nearby residents were evacuated so that bomb disposal specialists could safely carry out a controlled explosion. The areaʼs airspace was also briefly closed, as was river traffic on the waterway itself.
The Po is Italyʼs longest river, running from the southwestern Alps to the Adriatic Sea, but annual satellite images this year show an increase in its dried-up areas. Last month, Italian authorities declared a state of emergency in areas adjacent to the Po River, which irrigates about a third of the countryʼs agricultural production. Its flow has become so weak due to the heat and lack of rainfall in recent months that farmers in the valley say salty seawater is now seeping into the river, destroying crops.