Scare in Greece after machine part mistaken for mortar shell

A military officer walks attends an operation at Ermou Street, Athens' main shopping area on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Police in Greece have cordoned off an area near the country's parliament after workers found what is believed to be a decades-old mortar shell during maintenance on the water mains. (AP/Yorgos Karahalis)

• A bomb-disposal team from the Greek army determined it was a rusting machine part used by the power utility
• Circulation restrictions were already in effect in Athens and across Greece due to the coronavirus crisis

ATHENS, Greece: Roads near Greece’s parliament building in central Athens were cordoned off for several hours Tuesday after a bomb scare turned out to be a false alarm.
Authorities said several streets around central Syntagma Square were been blocked to traffic and pedestrians for several hours after workers doing excavation work for water main maintenance found what was believed to be a decades-old mortar shell.
A bomb-disposal team from the Greek army determined it was a rusting machine part used by the power utility. Police reopened the roads that were blocked for about three hours.
Circulation restrictions were already in effect in Athens and across Greece due to the coronavirus crisis.