An unexploded World War II bomb brought travel chaos to the River Mersey on Tuesday, leaving almost 250 ferry passengers and crew stranded as navy divers rushed to disarm it, the coastguard said.
Traffic was moving through the tunnel, said Craig Sim, watch assistant at Liverpool Coastguard in north-west England.
“Three or four ferries have already passed the navy vessel that is towing the munition. A few more are to come; there is still a queue of eight or nine,” he said.
Sim said that efforts to relieve the build-up were going smoothly: “It is a controlled crossing, with all inbound and outbound traffic coordinated. There’s no danger involved.”
Royal Navy divers secured the 450kg World War II device to a navy vessel in the river near Liverpool, and it was being towed to a safe location 3km north along the river.
Once the bomb is in position, the navy will undertake a controlled explosion to deactivate it.
Two ferries, the Mersey Viking, with 64 passengers and 55 crew on board, and the Dublin Viking, with 81 passengers and 46 crew, had been stranded up the river since early morning awaiting instructions.
Royal Navy sailors spotted the bomb floating in the river and reported it to the coastguard just before midnight, local time, on Monday. — AFP