August 2: On This Day in World History … briefly
Several members of the neo-fascist terrorist organisation Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari (Armed Revolutionary Nuclei) were sentenced for the bombing, although the group denied involvement.
1980: Bomb explodes at railway station in Italy, killing 85 people
The Bologna massacre was a terrorist bombing of the Bologna Centrale railway station in Bologna, Italy, on the morning of 2 August 1980 which killed 85 people and wounded over 200. At 10.25 CEST, a time bomb hidden in an unattended suitcase detonated in an air-conditioned waiting room at the Bologna station which was full of people seeking refuge from the August heat. The explosion collapsed the roof of the waiting room, destroyed most of the main building, and hit the Ancona–Chiasso train which was waiting at the first platform. The station was full of tourists that Saturday, and the city was unprepared for a major disaster. Many passers-bys and travelers provided first aid to victims and helped rescue people who were buried under the rubble.
Due to the large number of casualties and an insufficient number of emergency vehicles available to transport the injured to hospitals, firefighters used buses (particularly from the #37 route), private cars, and taxis. Some doctors and hospital staff returned early from vacation to care for the victims, and hospital departments which were closed for the summer holidays were reopened to accommodate the casualties.
After the attack, large demonstrations were held in Piazza Maggiore (Bologna’s central square). Harsh criticism was directed at government representatives who attended the August 6 funerals of the victims in the Basilica San Petronio. The only applause was reserved for President Sandro Pertini, who arrived by helicopter in Bologna at 5.30pm the day of the massacre and tearfully said: “I have no words; we are facing the most criminal enterprise that has ever taken place in Italy.”
The #37 bus and the clock (stopped at 10.25) were symbols of the massacre. The attack was the worst atrocity in Italy since World War II.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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