Around 20,000 evacuated in Cologne as major bomb defusal operation underway
Three unexploded WWII bombs discovered in Germany
- Around 20,000 people are being evacuated from their homes in Cologne, Germany, following the discovery of three unexploded World War II bombs in the Deutz district.
- The bombs, manufactured in the US, include two 1,000kg bombs and one 500kg bomb, all equipped with impact fuzes.
- The evacuation zone encompasses the old city, 58 hotels, three Rhine bridges, a railway station, a hospital, museums, two care homes, and the town hall.
- Experts from Dusseldorf district’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service will defuse the bombs, with operations scheduled to begin at 8am on Wednesday.
- Cologne authorities have set up tents and help centres for evacuees and urge everyone to leave the area promptly to ensure the defusing can be completed on Wednesday; bomb defusals are common in Cologne due to heavy Allied bombing during World War II.