Berlin, SANA-Cologne, Germany, has commenced its largest evacuation since 1945, as a significant portion of the city center has been sealed off to neutralize three unexploded American bombs from World War II.
A city spokesperson informed the German Press Agency that “the initial assessment for the civilian evacuation will take several hours, followed by some reviews before the defusing operation can begin.”
Over 20,000 residents will be required to leave their homes within a 1,000-meter radius of where the bombs were discovered in the Deutz district.
Kai Kulschewski, head of explosive ordnance disposal for the Düsseldorf district administration, stated that “it’s impossible to predict how long this operation will take. The entire process depends on the success of the evacuation and residents’ adherence to the rules, ensuring everyone leaves the evacuation zone. Only then can our personnel begin their work.”
Kulschewski noted that “across the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, between 1,500 and 2,000 World War II bombs are found annually, 200 of which are large-caliber, similar to those recently discovered in Cologne.”
Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company, has announced service disruptions at several stations, train diversions, and cancellations.
Additionally, Rhine River shipping traffic is scheduled for a temporary suspension, and airspace will be briefly closed for the duration of the bomb disposal operations.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
