Düsseldorf: 13,000 residents evacuate after WWII bomb dug up
August 8, 2023
Around 13,000 were told to temporarily evacuate their homes in the German city of Düsseldorf after a World War II-era bomb was found, firefighters said on Monday night.
The US-made bomb reportedly weighs 500 kilograms (1100 pounds).
City authorities said firefighters are expected to defuse the bomb overnight. Police have closed off roads in a 500-meter (550-yard) radius from where the bomb was found.
In the meantime, two rooms at local schools were made available for affected residents.
Unexploded bombs not uncommon in Germany
Long distance trains were disrupted by the discovery of the bomb, while several local bus and tram lines were halted.
The ground in many German cities remains riddled with unexploded bombs that are regularly discovered at construction sites and other excavations, 78 years after WWII ended.
In 2020, 13,000 people in Frankfurt were forced to evacuate after a similar-sized British bomb was dug up.
In December 2021, a WWII-era bomb exploded at a construction site in Munich, injuring four people.
zc/jsi (dpa, AFP)
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