The operation in the port of Marghera, a mostly industrial area separated from the tourist city by water, required the evacuation of about 3,500 residents beginning in the early morning. Boat, train and bus traffic was all halted during the operation and planes were prohibited from flying to and from Marco Polo Airport from 8:30am (0730GMT) until 12:30 pm. At mid-morning, authorities said the first two phases of the operation – the evacuation of residents, and the process to strip the fuses from the bombs, had been successfully completed.
