WW2 bombs found in Italy, thousands evacuated
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-30 08:43

The discovery of two World War II bombs in southern Italy has forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate their homes, snarled train travel and shut down a vital highway leading to the port city of Naples.

The most dramatic of the two discoveries was in the Italian town of Formia last week, where explosives experts are preparing to detonate on Tuesday a 250-kg (500-pound), 2-meter long device dropped by the British air force more than 60 years ago.

Local authorities believe the device's malfunctioning time-release mechanism was accidentally triggered upon its discovery near the train station, Formia's spokeswoman said.

They ordered more than 10,000 of the city's 36,000 residents to stay away while the army builds a special casing around the bomb to limit fallout, she added.

A second bomb was discovered by road construction workers adding another lane to a busy highway outside the city of Naples, forcing the mayor to temporarily shut down a section of the motorway over the weekend and causing delays.

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