The Greek military has defused a World War II bomb discovered during the construction of a luxury residential complex in the southern suburbs of Athens.
An unexploded 500-pound bomb was discovered during construction work on a unique large-scale project in the coastal area, south of the Greek capital. writes US News publication. Greek army specialists destroyed it last Thursday.
For safety reasons, traffic in the area was stopped for more than two hours, and several nearby residences were evacuated as a precaution. The Mayor of Glyfada, Giorgos Papanikolaou, noted:
“Everything went well and we thank all the agencies involved: the specialized army unit, the fire department and the traffic police. As construction proceeds, new unexploded ordnance may be discovered.”
The innovative urban development project will include a park, shopping centres, hotels, casinos and a variety of entertainment options near the seaside area of Glyfada, south of the capital. Work began last year and is due to be completed in 2026.
The project will use land that was previously the site of Athens International Airport before it was closed in 2001 and moved to a new site. The site also hosted several sporting venues during the 2004 Athens Olympics, and briefly hosted a camp for asylum seekers during the 2015–16 refugee crisis. The airfield was used for decades to support a US military base, which was closed in the early 1990s. During World War II and the Nazi occupation of Greece, the airfield was bombed by the Allies.
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