Italian police thought an illegal
firework dubbed the President Bomb was a possible terror attack
device since it contained only slightly less explosive material
than an anti-tank device, Palermo prosecutors said Tuesday.
The 'bomb' seized in the Sicilian capital as part of annual
pre-New Year's Eve confiscation sweeps contained 200 grammes of
high explosive compared to the 350 grammes of an anti-tank
device, they said.
The President Bomb has now joined the 'Sinner' Bomb as the two
latest in a line of high-explosive New Year's fireworks, most
invented in Naples.
Italian police say the latter devastating device "shares the
flame-red hair and explosive shots" of the tennis world number
one from South Tyrol.
The 'bomb' was seized in the home-cum-workshop of a 24-year-old
man who had turned his residence into a powder keg and placed
his neighbours, as well as an adjacent medical centre and
school, at high risk, police said.
Every year fireworks-mad Naples is the Italian city that has the
most injuries, and sometimes fatalities, due to the NYE mayhem.
The outrageous names of the most powerful fireworks are targeted
at youthful noise-lovers.
Last year the Kvara Bomb was named after the Georgia wing
dribbling sensation who sent league leader Napoli's fans wild.
The huge banger named after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia aka Kvaradona
for his similarities to Diego Maradona, joined past notorious
illegal Naples fireworks including the COVID Bomb, Cobra 7, the
Rambo 1, the Uranus 2020, the Kamikaze, the Bin Laden Bomb, The
Maradona Bomb, The Pope Bomb, Desert Storm, Red October, Turbo
3, The Spread, Maya and Insigne, after another past Napoli
darling, Italy striker Lorenzo Insigne.
Women in Naples got so fed up with their menfolk in 2008 that
they launched a 'no sex if you let off fireworks' drive.
The operation had some success as the number of injuries dropped
by about 100.
Many of the illegal fireworks sold in Italy are actually
rudimentary bombs.
Last New Year's Day hundreds of Italians were nursing burns and
injuries and some lost fingers as a result of New Year
celebrations with fireworks that went wrong.
As the nationwide anti-explosive sweeps continued Tuesday, over
a tonne of illegal fireworks were seized in Rome, 674 kg in the
Reggio Calabria area, and a "mini-factory" near Cagliari where a
40-year-old man was arrested, police said.
Fireworks have been banned in most Italian cities at the New
Year but many Italians are expected to flout the bans.
Naples has already given in to its citizens' noted inclinations
and is not enforcing a ban.
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