Airport in Rome closes temporarily as experts remove WWII era bombs

The three bombs weighed around 150kg (330 pounds) in total and were discovered during maintenance work on the tarmac.

An airport in Rome has been temporarily closed after the discovery of German bombs from the Second World War era.

Italy's Defence Ministry said army experts worked to safely remove the bombs from Ciampino airport.

#7febbraio Con l'arrivo del team #EOD sono state completate le operazioni di caricamento degli ordigni su un mezzo per limitare al minimo gli impulsi elettromagnetici. Le bombe vengono trasferite nella cava di Santa Maria delle Mole per brillamento#Ciampino #dualuse #ForzeArmate pic.twitter.com/947s5EscEl

— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) February 7, 2019

The three bombs weighed around 150kg (330lbs) in total - including 75kg (165lbs) of gunpowder.

They were discovered during maintenance work on the tarmac on Thursday, according to airport operator Aeroporti di Roma.

I’d like to know what’s going on at Rome Ciampino airport.
We were told to go back to the airport due to a runway inspection but it seems everyone has been asked to leave the actual building pic.twitter.com/4mXg9mMCOG

— Izabela Zimirowicz ⭐️ (@Behella96) February 7, 2019

Flights to Ciampino were being diverted to Rome's larger Fiumicino airport during the closure, which lasted several hours.

The airport, which is situated southeast of central Rome, is an important hub for many low-cost carriers including Ryanair.

Passengers were evacuated from the airport following the discovery, with many claiming on social media that they had not been told what was going on.

Authorities say the airport has now reopened after the explosives were made safe.

Source: news.sky.com