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02 February 2020The operations to remove the WWII bomb - which weighs 500 pounds - began in Porto Marghera at around 8.30 am. From 6 o'clock the area of ​​Mestre was cleared with the closure of the Ponte della Libertà that connects Venice to the mainland. The blasting is expected around 17.30 in the open sea.

The police and about 160 volunteers of the civil protection are taking care of the assistance to the people - about 3,500 - who must temporarily leave their homes, and carry out anti-call-out service. By 7.30 all the houses concerned were vacated to allow defusing.

The free shuttle service of the ACTV for the Palasport Taliercio, the collection point and area for hospitality for the evacuated, is operational. From 7 o'clock the movement of private vehicles and pedestrians in the safety area was forbidden, and the Liberty bridge was closed, therefore stop for buses and trains.

Parish of San Giuseppe also evacuated, Sunday mass at Palasport Taliercio
There is also the parish of San Giuseppe di Mestre among the realities that were evacuated this morning. The church, which rises at the end of viale San Marco, not far from the lagoon eaves, is in fact within a radius of 1,800 meters from the point where the bomb was defused. The parish priest then warned the faithful in time that the masses scheduled at 8.00 and 10.00 will not be celebrated, and tonight's festive celebration becomes useful.

Accepting the availability given by the Prefecture and the Municipality, the parish of San Giuseppe instead organized the celebration of Sunday mass at 9.30 in the Palasport Taliercio, a collection facility for the displaced population. For the evening meal, no problem.

#bombaday https://t.co/XOWtCsIloO

- Tgr Rai Veneto (@TgrVeneto) February 2, 2020