Viterbo – The military operations ended earlier than expected with the removal of the fuses and the elimination of 1,300 kilos of explosives – Some traffic disruptions before and after the activation of the red zone
by Samuele Sansonetti
Viterbo – The bomb in via De Gasperi
Viterbo – From 6 am, the time in which the construction site in via de Gasperi was reached, until 3.54 pm, when the lorry arrived in Monte Romano. Plus approximately another three hours for the second phase of reclamation which took place inside the military range.
Yesterday was a very long day for the city of Viterbo and beyond, due to the operations to defuse the bomb found on March 20th.
Viterbo – Bomb in via De Gasperi – Operations for the transfer of the bomb to Monte Romano
The operations, coordinated by the police and civil protection, started at dawn with the start of the evacuation which for many even started the evening before. More than 35 thousand people involved who left the “red zone” within a radius of 1,400 meters from the discovery of the war device by 9 in the morning.
There was some traffic disruption, but it essentially disappeared with the start of the clean-up operations by the bomb squad of the sixth pioneer engineering regiment. The start, expected for 9am, arrived shortly after 10am due to further checks on the complete evacuation of the area. And the military’s work, punctuated by the sound of sirens, started at 10.27am.
Viterbo – Bomb squad on site
The bomb squad divided the day into two phases. The first, which took place on the field, served to remove the three fuses on the bomb. An operation, the latter, which made the weapon of war almost harmless and equivalent to a container of explosives but without the “switch”. The second, anticipated by the transport to Monte Romano, led the military to remove the 1,300 kilos of explosives using jets of hot pressurized water.
The times were also shorter than expected: 4 hours and 42 minutes for the first defusing phase, around 50 minutes for transport to the range and just under three hours for the second and final phase. The Viterbo gates were reopened at 3.26pm, 6 hours and 26 minutes after the “all out” at 9am.
Samuele Sansonetti
Bomba day live coverage: Gates reopened – The device is in Monte Romano, three hours to empty it of 1300 kilos of explosives by Samuele Sansonetti
Articles: The bomb squad of the 6th Engineer Regiment Pioneers of the Army: “2 thousand kilo bomb of which 1300 of explosives” – Bishop Orazio Francesco Piazza: “Bomb in via De Gasperi, the evacuation was a school of humanity” – Captain Luigi Prencipe: “The bomb in via De Gasperi is called Lady Rose, in honor of Santa Rosa” – Bomb in via De Gasperi, today is evacuation day
Media: Bomb in via De Gasperi, bomb squad at work: Video – Photo – Bomba day – The overflight of anti-looting drones over the city of Viterbo: Video – Colonel Gianbasilio Profiti: “Courage and training are needed to defuse”: Video
May 8, 2024
