Port of Thessaloniki discovery of 1,000 WWII bombs

Approximately 1,000 World War II-era bombs have been discovered on the seabed of the Port of Thessaloniki, Greece. The munitions were identified during magnetic surveys conducted in the area where the expansion of the 6th pier is currently underway.

The estimated total weight of the explosives ranges between 15,000 and 20,000 tons. Among the findings, roughly 80 bombs are reported to weigh more than 50 kilograms each. The munitions are located both beneath the caissons forming the surface infrastructure of the expansion and within the entry and exit points of the upgraded pier, where dredging is planned to facilitate larger vessels.

Management at OLTH SA has requested immediate assistance from the Greek state to manage the collection and removal of the explosives, noting that the task exceeds the capabilities of the port and the construction consortium. To avoid delays in the construction schedule, the seabed must be cleared before March, when the installation of caissons is expected to be completed. It is suspected that the munitions may have been discarded by German forces during their withdrawal from Thessaloniki in 1944.