The worst drought in Italy over the past 70 years has caused the level of the Po River to drop so much that the bomb The Second World Warwhich was subsequently neutralized by army specialists.

“The bomb was discovered by fishermen on the banks of the Po River due to a drop in the water level caused by a drought,” Colonel Marco Nazi said.

The bomb was discovered on July 25 near the village of Borgo Virgilio, near the city of Mantua in the north of the country.

Army specialists on Sunday carried out a controlled detonation of the bomb.

Residents evicted and traffic stopped

In connection with the discovery of the bomb, an evacuation of the surrounding areas, where about 3,000 people live, was carried out as a precautionary measure before a controlled explosion.

In addition, the airspace over the site was blocked, and the movement of cars, trains and ships in the area was stopped.

The mayor of Borgo-Virgilio, Francesco Aporti, said the residents were initially reluctant to move, but the local authorities managed to convince them. He even added that the operation would not continue unless the area was evacuated in advance.

Residents began returning to their homes on Sunday afternoon.

Last month, Italy declared a state of emergency in areas around the Po, the country’s largest river, which has been hit by an unprecedented drought.

^{According to Reuters, dpa, Deutsche Welle}