Greek army experts safely neutralized an unexploded World War II bomb uncovered during construction work for a large urban development project "Ellinikon" in a coastal area south of Athens on Thursday.
The 500-pound bomb was defused without a detonation after authorities temporarily halted traffic for over two hours and evacuated several nearby apartment blocks as a precaution.
The urban development endeavor, set to feature a park, shopping centers, hotels, a casino, and various recreational facilities near the Glyfada coastal area, south of the capital, commenced last year and is scheduled for completion in 2026.
Glyfada Mayor Giorgos Papanikolaou expressed gratitude to the specialized army unit, the fire department, and the traffic police for their successful cooperation, stating, "Everything went well, and we thank all the agencies involved."
He also noted that further unexploded ordnance might be unearthed as excavation work continues.
This development project is located on land formerly occupied by Athens' international airport, which was closed in 2001 and relocated to a new site. During the 2004 Athens Olympics, this area hosted various sporting venues and briefly provided housing for asylum seekers during the refugee crisis of 2015-16.
The airfield additionally served as support for a United States military base for many decades before its closure in the early 1990s. During World War II and the Nazi-led occupation of Greece, the airfield was targeted in bombings by the allies.
