After hours of work by the Italian Army bomb squads, the reclamation work of a World War II aircraft bomb weighing 500 pounds and of American origin, containing a explosive charge of approximately 280 pounds (127 kilograms).
The specialists of the 21st guastatori genius regiment, unit of the Army's "Garibaldi" bersaglieri brigade, responsible for the whole Campania territory, worked in coordination with the prefecture of Salerno, adopting all safety procedures, in full compliance with current legislation on the prevention of contagion from Covid-19.
Due to the position of the remnant of war, it was necessary to prepare and carry out containment works to reduce the projection radius of any splinters, increasing the level of safety for the inhabitants of Sapri. In fact, to limit the effects of a possible accidental explosion, the Army operators installed a field containing structure made with metal gabions filled with inert material (so-called quarry sand).
By the territorial authorities, rail services on the Salerno - Reggio Calabria via Sapri section were limited and more than 550 people evacuated.
At about 09.45 am, the activities for the removal of the two fuzes began, which took place safely, with subsequent neutralization on site within the scheduled time. Subsequently, the sappers of the “Garibaldi” brigade guaranteed the transport and finalized the destruction of the body of the bomb at the Casalbuono quarry (SA). The reclamation work had a regular end in the early afternoon, at about 15.15 pm.
