A 226-kilogram unexploded aerial bomb from the Second World War was successfully deactivated at the construction site of the Slovenian border town of Nova Gorica's railway station on August 25.

The bomb, which was found on August 22, was identified as an MC 500-lb model. It contains 96 kg of explosives and is fitted with a functional mechanical igniter. This is the seventh such bomb unearthed during the renovation work at the railway station in Nova Gorica, RTV SLO reported.

“The bomb in Nova Gorica has been successfully disabled!” Said a Facebook post from Nova Gorica municipality on August 25.

“The evacuation went according to plan, the disabling of the bomb a little longer due to the technical difficulties with unrolling the fuse. At the end of the intervention, representatives of the local authorities from both sides of the border thanked the residents, pyrotechnics and all the units that everything went well.” 

The ongoing renovation of the railway station is part of Nova Gorica's preparations for its role as the European Capital of Culture 2025. The refurbished building, named EPIC, will feature both physical and virtual exhibition spaces, highlighting the city’s rich heritage.

This is the third such operation in Nova Gorica in thirteen months, following the discovery of similar devices in July 2023 and last March.

According to Italian news agency ANSA the evacuation included approximately 3,000 Slovenian citizens in Nova Gorica and 1,400 residents from the Italian town of Gorizia, on the other side of the border.

In response to the threat, Slovenian authorities established two security zones. The first, designated as the red zone, required a full evacuation of around 1,000 residents living within 400 metres of the bomb in Nova Gorica.

The second, the yellow zone, covering an area between 400 and 600 metres from the bomb's location, imposed restrictions on movement, preventing residents from leaving their homes.

Slovenian media reported that at 10:00 am, the deactivation procedure commenced with the evacuation of residents in a 400-metre radius. The siren signalling the danger sounded at 10:08 am, marking the beginning of the bomb disposal efforts.

Those who were unable to evacuate were given shelter at the Nova Gorica Municipal Palace, the municipality said.