In Cologne, Germany, the largest evacuation since 1945 began on Wednesday morning to defuse three American bombs from the Second World War, requiring over 20,000 people to leave their homes.
The city in western Germany announced the evacuation as its largest since the end of Second World War, according to a statement on its website.
A city spokesperson informed the German press agency DPA that the exact start time for the bomb disposal could not yet be provided.
Road barricades have been in place since 08:00, and authorities are checking properties to ensure they are vacated. Officials are urging residents to follow the evacuation rules to ensure the operation proceeds smoothly.
The evacuation zone includes a hospital, two residential care homes, multiple museums, and the television station RTL.
While the famous Cologne Cathedral and central station are outside the zone, the Hohenzollern Bridge – the busiest railway bridge in Germany – is affected. Consequently, Deutsche Bahn expects significant disruptions in local and long-distance train services across North Rhine-Westphalia.
Kai Kulschewski, head of the local bomb disposal unit, stated on WDR’s "Morgenecho" programme that between 1,500 and 2,000 WW2 bombs are found annually in Germany.
