A 150-kg World War II underwater mine found in a port in Croatia in June was destroyed on Sunday in an operation that required the evacuation of hundreds of residents, local civil defense officials said.
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Laid by German forces more than 80 years ago, this mine was accidentally discovered during construction work at a depth of 50 meters in the port of Rijeka (north). The machine was partially covered by the sand of the seabed.
Sunday’s demolitions resulted in traffic being halted in the area and 500 residents being evacuated as a precaution.
It was carried out by Croatian police divers and soldiers, who towed the mine to bring it to the surface and then destroyed it, an AFP photographer noted.