Authorities in Thessaloniki are planning to evacuate up to 60,000 residents from their homes this Sunday so experts can safely dispose of an unexploded World War II bomb.
An operation to remove a large Air Force bomb dating from the Second World War, which was dug out near a gas station in Thessaloniki last Wednesday was halted until this weekend, amid concerns for safety.
The bomb was found by the crew of a natural gas company that was digging near a gas station. According to the officials, the bomb was located at a depth of five meters and is about one meter in length. Crews from the gas station, located in the area of Kordelio, northwestern Thessaloniki, pumped out all the fuel in the tanks which were then refilled with water to inactivate fumes.
The evacuation is now set for Sunday, and people living 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) around the bomb site will be kept away from the area for up to five hours, according to officials.
