Parma, 500-pound aerial bomb defused: about 6,000 residents evacuated

The Esercito Italiano deployed to the municipality of Parma to defuse an American 500-pound aerial bomb dating back to World War II.

The ordnance was found at a construction site within a former military area during a systematic clearance operation conducted by a company specializing in the search for wartime remnants. In June last year, two other ordnance items had already been cleared from the same area.

The two fuzes removed

The operation was carried out on the morning of September 28, 2026 by EOD technicians from the 2° reggimento Genio Pontieri, based in Piacenza.

The operation took place under the coordination of the Prefettura di Parma and the Comando Territoriale Nord dell’Esercito in Padua. The personnel removed the two initiation systems—the fuzes—on site.

Once rendered safe, the wartime remnant was transported to a quarry in Rubbiano di Solignano, where it was detonated.

A structure to contain the effects

The complexity of the operation and the area’s high degree of urbanization required additional safety measures. To limit disruption to the public, Army engineers built a reinforced-earth blast chamber around the bomb.

The structure was designed to contain the effects of a possible accidental explosion during the defusing operation. This measure reduced the safety-zone radius to 468 meters.

Nevertheless, the evacuation of the so-called red zone involved approximately 6,000 residents.

One hundred and thirty operations since the start of the year

Since the start of the year, the 2° reggimento Genio Pontieri has conducted 130 clearance operations involving wartime ordnance of various types across the nine provinces within its area of responsibility.

They are Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Massa-Carrara, Pisa, Lucca, Livorno, and La Spezia.

The clearance of wartime remnants is among the standing activities carried out by the Esercito Italiano for the benefit of the public. Every year, EOD technicians respond to thousands of ordnance items found in Italy as part of efforts to protect citizens and safeguard the environment.