After more than a century in ice: 250 WWI bombs uncovered in Italy

The Italian army located and neutralized 250 bombs, shells, and other munitions from World War I, exposed by melting glaciers in the Dolomites. The weapons remained buried in ice for over a century. The discovery occurred after hikers reported old bombs along hiking trails.

The Italian army located and neutralized 250 bombs, shells, and other munitions from World War I, exposed by melting glaciers in the Dolomites of northern Italy. The weapons remained buried in ice for over a century, and some still contained dangerous explosives. The discovery occurred during the past summer, after hikers in the area noticed old bombs along hiking trails and reported them to authorities. Soldiers of the Alpine Brigade "Julia" conducted extensive sweeps in the Primiero Valley in Trentino, mainly near the town of Canal San Bovo. In total, 250 munitions were located and neutralized, including 18 Italian artillery shells of 75 mm caliber and 37 Thevetot model mortar bombs, manufactured in France. The munitions are remnants of the "White War" between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy from 1915 to 1918. Prof. Stefano Morosini from the University of Bergamo explained to The Guardian that at the end of each summer, additional munitions are exposed due to global warming. The Italian army called on hikers not to touch suspicious items that may be munitions and to report them to the police.